My Kingdom Come
by silver-doe287
Summary: Post Season 4. Chloe won't let him just slip away, and Lucifer is trying out Therapy 2.0: The Hell Version. Certain family members won't let things rest, and there isn't a way for Lucifer to get away from Hell... is there? My season 5 prediction story. Rating changed to T for some mentions of gore.
1. Is It Wise?

"Earth to Chloe!"

Chloe blinked rapidly and let her mind focus once more. She'd been caught in yet another spacing out session, something that seemed to be the new normal for her. Her eyes found Ella Lopez, forensic scientist extraordinaire, staring at her with raised eyebrows and a sympathetic expression.

"Are you sure you want to be here?" Ella asked gently, setting down whatever she had been trying to show her. Chloe noticed it was a sample of something that had been placed in a glass vial.

"No, no, I'm fine," Chloe insisted, gesturing for Ella to continue. Ella rolled her eyes, not unkindly, before continuing.

"I was _saying,_" She emphasized, "this long hair obviously doesn't belong on our victim here, given his state of baldness. I'd guess it may be a woman's hair. Or a guy with a man-bun. Can't rule those out these days." She grinned at Chloe as she stood up. "I'll take it back to the lab to test for DNA."

Chloe nodded and glanced back down at the homicide victim. The man had been in his forties, bald, a little more dad bod in stature, and had been found face-up in an alley behind a Chinese restaurant. A worker at the restaurant had called it in when they'd taken out the morning trash. ID, wallet, and money on the body indicated a crime outside a simple robbery, so here she was.

It'd been a quiet week in the precinct for Chloe. She had gone back to work as quickly as possible, anything to give her a distraction from sitting alone at home and feeling sorry for herself. It made no sense for her to dwell on what she couldn't stop dwelling over, but pushing through and finishing up paperwork had been supposed to help her focus on anything else. As if that could have worked with what was swimming through her mind at a constant, reverberating pace.

"Want a ride back down to the station?" Dan was behind her now, voice its usual brass and no-nonsense, and Chloe smiled to herself. Having Dan around was always a comfort, even after their ill-fated marriage came to a conclusion. They had similar coping mechanisms.

Turning around, Chloe nodded. "Thanks, I'd like that." Dan gestured the way and they exited the crime scene, leaving the forensics team to finish documenting it.

Dan's car smelled like Honey-Nut Cheerios. As Chloe wrapped the seatbelt around herself and clicked it, she contemplated this for a moment. It had been years since they'd shared the cereal with Trixie, who much preferred Lucky Charms. There didn't seem to be a hint of food anywhere, and yet here it was, the smell of a long-lost breakfast cereal that hadn't been in her life in a long time.

"It's been a week," Dan announced into the silence as they were on their way back. She glanced over quickly to see him staring straight ahead. Jaw set, eyes hard and focused on the road. "What's going on?"

She hadn't had the heart to tell anybody what had happened. How could she explain what had happened? Only Linda knew the truth out of the people in her life, and Linda (and Amenadiel, for that matter) had been preoccupied with little Charlie. She hadn't spoken to Linda yet.

"What do you want me to say?" Chloe asked him. "Do you want me to say he's gone for good? Because I don't want to believe that."

"He left you here, Chloe," Dan said with a raised voice. Seeming to realize this, he lowered it to continue. "You're obviously not okay and you don't know where he went."

Oh, she knew where he was all right. It was a place she couldn't follow.

"Maybe we should get Maze on it," He suggested then.

"No!" Her voice was quick and pained, giving away just a bit more emotion than she had hoped to show her ex-husband. "No." She dropped it back down to a normal level. "I don't want to get her involved. She's mad, too."

"Of course she is, we all are!" Dan muttered angrily. He sighed heavily and seemed to calm down once more. "Look, just...is there anything I can do to help? Do you want him to be found?"

"I don't think he wants to be found," she almost whispered. She smiled sadly and looked ahead at the buildings passing by. "He has enough money to disappear."

Her hands had found their way into her jacket pocket, where a worn, simple piece of paper lay folded and waiting. Her words to Dan were a means to an end; she wasn't going to let Lucifer have the satisfaction of leaving forever now. The rest of the drive to the precinct went by in silence, and she wasn't sure if it was out of respect for what she was going through or because of Dan's anger at Lucifer. They had parked and walked back in the precinct before she knew it. Her feet followed the familiar path to her desk and she sat down, hand gently pulling out the piece of paper.

She felt childish, denying Lucifer the ability to slip away as he had so gently tried to do. Holding the piece of paper, already worn from her hours of poring over it, making sure it was perfect, re-reading it over and over to get it just right, all seemed trivial and not at all how she should be moving on. Passing notes like elementary school children may not be the best way to go about it, but it was the only way for her to know where to start.

She wouldn't have even thought of getting a note to him until she had opened her front door three days after the events that pulled Lucifer back to Hell to find his older brother standing there, remorse and understanding unloading from his dark, caring eyes. She had thought before that moment she had cried her last tear. Unfortunately, the angel had a way of bringing about her emotions yet again. She had sobbed in his arms for what felt like hours, trying to justify in her head and out loud why he had to do it at the same time. But she had been so _hurt._ To finally reach a point of understanding between the two partners, to finally get to be together, had been right there for the taking. But Lucifer, never the responsible being, had changed his tune at the exact wrong moment. The years she had known him to skimp on the work, fall flat in his duties, and spread his faux innocence through a cocky smile, all seemed like a completely different person. _He made an asshole move, _she thought to herself in a grief-stricken tone.

Amenadiel had been counseled by Linda on a few choice things to say, this much Chloe could tell. He was careful how he worded things, comforted her by stroking her back, and let his deep voice remind her that she was strong and capable on her own. In a steady tone he had told her how proud God would be of Lucifer's decision, how perhaps this is what needed to be done for their family to finally be mended.

She had let him talk, tried to let his words resonate with her. She wanted to believe that he was okay on his own back in Hell. She wanted to believe that this was a test and that he was passing. But her memory flashed back to those last moments on the balcony at the penthouse, back to his expressions. He had been determined and resigned, this much she had seen. She had thought she detected a flicker of uncertainty and fear as well. When she had said she loved him, the shock that had flown through his wide eyes, quickly melting into a warmth she had not known him to ever show, that had been the end of it. Chloe knew that he was settling into this deplorable fate with the expectation of not resurfacing. What kind of self-sacrifice that took, she was scared to think about.

When Amenadiel had left, she began to formulate the plan. It was a silly one, she knew. It was childish, too. Very stubborn. She absently thought of how stubborn Trixie had been when she was younger, and wondered to herself if her daughter got that from her. But this wasn't an altogether _normal_ situation. And she felt she owed it to herself to try.

When she had the beginning to the case paperwork filled out, Chloe decided it was time for a lunch break. She sent a text to Amenadiel asking him to meet her at a local diner down the street. Upon his confirmation that he would be there, she left the precinct, folded paper once again in her pocket and held firmly there by her hand.

The diner was crowded for lunchtime, but there was a fortunate booth open. She slid into it and folded her hands, thumbs twiddling absently. Her eyes followed the mix of people and cultures that populated the diner at this time of day. A few business lunch meetings, some retirees in the far corner talking loudly and reminiscing, a family with a young daughter who had just been presented a banana split. Chloe smiled at the last one, remembering the rare but important times she and Dan had brought Trixie out to get ice cream. Where had the time gone.

The diner bell dinged and she glanced behind her to see Amenadiel stride in. His presence inside the diner at all was soothing and nerve-wracking at the same time. She smiled nervously at him as he walked right up to her, as if he had known where she was all along. He slid into the booth opposite, a gesture that looked much too regal for a man of his size. Angel, not man.

A waitress came over and Chloe got a soda and a cheeseburger. She hadn't been eating well and thought perhaps sitting with Lucifer's brother, she would be more inclined to nourish herself. Amenadiel ordered a tall glass of milk with a smile. The waitress, flustered, smiled in return and scurried off to get their orders ready.

"Hello, Chloe," Amenadiel said calmly. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Uh, thank you for coming," she replied quickly. "I know it's a stupid thing and you've got a newborn baby and you're probably very busy."

Amenadiel held up a hand and smiled again, knowingly.

"It's okay, Chloe. Charlie is doing fine. Linda is with him. You have my complete attention."

Chloe smiled gratefully. She carefully took the note out of her jacket pocket and placed it on the table between them. The waitress came back with their drink orders then, setting them down and smiling again at Amenadiel before walking away. Amenadiel eyed the paper curiously.

"What's this?" he questioned.

"This," Chloe breathed, "is a note. For Lucifer." She carefully pushed it towards him, half wishing she hadn't done this. "Could you...is it possible for you to get it to him?"

Amenadiel looked thoughtfully, not taking it just yet. He glanced up at her and back at it.

"Are you sure this is wise?" he asked her gently. "He made a big sacrifice to return to Hell. I wish it didn't have to be this way, either, but is a note… is it wise?"

"I know, it's stupid," she said earnestly. "I need to though. I need him to know. I can't just ignore where he is, Amenadiel. He's back in Hell." She force whispered the last word so as the neighboring customers didn't overhear. "Whatever he's going through, he doesn't deserve that. He should have something in his life that's better. I can't be there, but maybe, through these notes..."

"You can," Amenadiel finished. He looked thoughtful for another moment, and then reached up with one of his large hands to take the piece of paper. She felt her eyes prick a moment as it left her touch. She was going to be able to communicate with him.

"I can't guarantee he'll respond," Amenadiel told her. "Lucifer has a way of...ignoring things he can't have. And this time, he seems to have a determination to be there. You should have seen him 7 years ago. He couldn't get far enough from the place." He let out a low chuckle and Chloe nodded understandingly.

"It isn't my fault, is it?" She asked, almost pleaded. "I feel like it's my fault he's back there."

Amenadiel's other hand came to rest on top of her own. The hand was warm and calming. She took a deep breath. Hie eyes were even with hers.

"It isn't your fault, Chloe," he said evenly. "It's never your fault."

She took another breath and let out a sigh. She wished she could believe that. She wondered if Lucifer believed that. She wondered if she'd ever get to see him again.


	2. Let's Talk About Me

Lucifer was walking through Hell. Hands in his pockets, eyes glancing back and forth to confirm himself alone, he let his feet carry him down the path that he had grown accustomed to. Row upon row of doors appeared on his right and on his left, offering slight hints as to who was trapped behind them. A whisper here, a song there, and screams, so many screams everywhere. It was all faint, as if it was much farther than just right on the other side of each door. And he was more than okay with this. His shoes clicked down the smooth stone path, leaving echoes in their wake.

Ash flickered in and out of view as it swam through the hazy air. The heat was stifling, but the suit he wore, a remnant of his former life, remained untouched and unwrinkled. The red pocket square sat slightly askew, but he paid no attention to it now.

He had arrived at his destination. This would be the eighth visit he had partaken in since his return to this dismal place. Bracing himself, he set a devilish grin on his face and pushed the door open, loudly announcing, "Bless me Father, for I have sinned!"

Lucifer sauntered through the door, walked through the entrance room and faced the inside of a cathedral made out of white, arched stone and a dark, wooden ceiling. Windows stretched on either side up above in classic gothic fashion. Warm light glowed against artwork on the walls. He paused at the back of the main aisle. In front of him stretched rows and rows of gray carpeted seats, most of them empty. Standing on either side of the aisle were two statues. He had entered the Hell loop at the back of a long line of people, waiting to enact their punishment. Where he stood, it was silent. Farther up the line, he heard murmuring and farthest ahead were loud voices. The loudest of them all was yelling, "WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP MY DAUGHTER? DO YOU EVEN REMEMBER HER NAME? YOU NEVER CARED FOR US-"

Behind him, the door back to Hell shut with a boom that echoed through the large room. Lucifer huffed and followed the familiar path to the right of the line and up the side aisle. Around him, stone columns rose from the ground and met with the arches in glorious display. Centered in these joinings were statue depictions of angels. He rolled his eyes and continued forward. Those in line took no notice of him, for he was not there for them to punish.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" The voice continued, echoing through the chamber. He was almost there now and could hear the pleading of the recipient of the accusations. Red carpet gave way to stone and then a horribly clashing bright green carpet where the subject of his inquiry was located. Behind stood the tall, proud altar, more statues, and a series of paintings of religious figures he couldn't be bothered to remember.

"Yes, yes, all good," Lucifer announced as he came to a halt at the front of the line. With a wave of his hand, the people in line disappeared to reveal a hunched over figure on the steps to the altar, sobs wracking his body as he continued to mutter to himself. Lucifer cleared his throat loudly. He wasn't here for crying, and this suit couldn't stand that kind of stain. The man lifted his head and shook it, as if to shake off the torment he had just been in. Straightening up, he sighed, wiped his eyes, and met Lucifer's with a surprisingly neutral expression.

"Back again so soon?" Father Kinley's voice was hoarse and impassive, a combination that suited him. Lucifer huffed again and produced a glass of water, presenting it to the other.

"I have more important places to be," he mentioned lightly as Father Kinley brought the glass to his lips. "I could leave again if you like." He raised his eyebrows and shot a smirk towards the priest. Father Kinley raised one arm to stop him as he finished the glass in full, which took a few precious seconds.

"No, you can stay," he replied a bit too quickly. His voice sounded better now. Lucifer waved his hand and the glass refilled. This was all formalities; souls in Hell did not need water to survive. He was sure the idea of being offered the glass helped distract from any recent torment. He settled into the first pew, crossing his legs and his arms.

"You have to be getting close now," he commented silkily as his eyes glanced slowly to the now-empty aisle and back to the priest. "How many more are you going to remember?"

Father Kinley swallowed – Lucifer could see he was still inwardly shaken from his torture.

"I did nothing for them," he articulated lowly. "They came to me and I, so focused on the hunt, never helped them. I betrayed my oath."

"You're not the first priest to think of himself," Lucifer replied smoothly, flashing a grin. "We have more priests down here than you may think. But enough about that, let's talk about me."

"You come here, stop my punishment, just to talk," Father Kinley stated. He sighed and stood up, beginning to walk towards him. "I've already told you everything about my time with Chloe. I told you how I ended up here. I don't know what more I can do to help you."

"Maybe that's just it," Lucifer said, grinning further. "I'd like to confess."

Father Kinley blinked and the edges of his well-etched frown curved upwards for just a moment.

"I don't see how the devil confessing to me will help his position," he responded as he turned around again. "All I could offer you is to say a few hail marys and read your scriptures."

"That book gets the important details wrong," Lucifer informed him as the grin died on his face. "What I want is somebody to talk to me, to keep me from going mad here. And since it's your fault I'm stuck back here, you won the prize." He tilted his head and smiled again, said smile not reaching his eyes.

"Very well."

Father Kinley came back and scooted past Lucifer to sit down. There was a good 2 feet between them, but that was the closest contact he had had since he'd left earth. Lucifer took a deep breath, still fighting to remember all that was threatening to become lost in this despairing place.

"What would you like to talk about?" the father asked, arms at his side. Lucifer leaned forward, eyes focusing on the religious artwork above the altar. The faces staring down were silent and foreboding. This whole place was against what his very existence stood for. He didn't know why he kept coming back here.

"Where are we?" Lucifer questioned, his thoughts distracted. "Where on earth was this place?"

This seemed to throw the father off, because he inhaled sharply and didn't speak for a moment.

"Well? Father?"

"My home," Father Kinley finally uttered, and Lucifer felt the other's gaze move away from him to follow where he was staring. "St. Mary's Church. It's in Bath."

Lucifer let out a non-comital noise to show he had heard, but was silent for longer. Despite his chosen accent, he had never visited England, let alone Bath. Was it a nice place? Were the people fun to be around? He hadn't done nearly enough with his time on earth, and now he was beginning to regret it.

"I miss her." The words had slipped out of his mouth before he even realized he had said them, before cursing himself inwardly for showing emotion. He had to get better at it!

"I figured as much," Father Kinley murmured, and Lucifer could feel his stare once again. He pointedly looked straight ahead, wondering how much like therapy he could take this.

"I finally had her," he mused out loud. "We were finally on the same page. She told me she loved me, you know. Even after I went full 'devil' with her there." Saying the facts out loud was satisfying. It brought a gnawing feeling back to his stomach, one that reminded him of his ill-timed fate.

"If you aren't here in Hell, who rules Hell?" Father Kinley asked in return. "You were needed here. You're not meant to interact with the humans. You belonged back here."

"Yes, yes, I know," Lucifer said, his voice becoming sour. "I know what your little _club_ believed. But did you stop to think for one moment that I'm not just some faceless monster? That perhaps Dad placing her in my path wasn't a bad thing?"

"The prophecy states –"

"_Blast the prophecy!_"

Lucifer took a deep breath, only meant for action. There was no need to breathe down here in Hell. He composed himself, leaning forward once more and putting his hands in his lap. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.

"If it hadn't been," he said through gritted teeth, "for your stupid _prophecy_, none of this would have happened. It was self-fulfilling."

Father Kinley remained silent for a few moments, and Lucifer wondered if he should leave. Let Hell get back to punishing the priest as he should be punished. He was quick to smile at this thought. This is what the Father deserved for ruining everything for him.

And yet, he also felt a little sick thinking about it. Surrounded by all this pain and misery once more, it was draining on his very soul. He wasn't the same devil as when he had left this place, years and years ago. He had changed and part of him was terrified to admit that.

"I'll leave you be now," Lucifer said quietly. "The door's open. But I'm not sure even you want yourself to leave." He felt his eyes flash as he finally looked to meet Father Kinley's. The father's eyes were nervous, scared even. In the back of his mind, he wondered if this was all worth it. Shaking off that thought, he stood up and buttoned his suitcoat. "Keep in mind that I'm in charge down here," he retorted. "I can make your existence worse." He waved his hand and the line was back. Father Kinley glanced behind him and seemed to go white. Lucifer didn't care. This was the other man's fault, anyhow. He strode back down the side aisle as the torture began once more. He was grinning now, but inside he was trying to suppress a softer, gentler voice saying this wasn't the way. It was, wasn't it?

He closed the door behind him with a flourish. Back into the mostly-silent hell, the heat and dark despair. Already he missed the horribly clashing colors of Father Kinley's Hell loop, which was ridiculous. He strode away, trying to clear his head of such nonsense.

His mind indeed became clear when he rounded the familiar path and saw it blocked up ahead by a shocking, welcome face.

"Amenadiel?"


	3. Chloe's First Note

_Lucifer,_

_Don't laugh at me, I rewrote this over three times. I know it's stupid, passing notes, but I can't NOT communicate with you. Not when I know where you are._

_It's been a week here. A very, very long week. I'm not going to lie and say I haven't been emotional. Getting back into work has been tough, but throwing myself at my work is what I do in situations like this. People are wondering where you went to. I don't know what to tell them. Ella seems sad. She wanted to share with you that she's had a breakthrough and is back on speaking terms with "The Big Guy." Dan is angry. He's always angry these days. I think he's seeing a therapist though, so that's good. Maybe I should see a therapist._

_Maze is...well, you can imagine. I think she experienced a wider range of emotions when she found out that you left her than she'd ever experienced before. Needless to say, she's been distant but I know she's all over your nephew, Charlie, so she'll recover._

_Will I recover? I don't know. Trixie knows something is wrong. She's eluded to you but never come outright and mentioned your name. She's one hell of a smart kid. She called me "mom" yesterday instead of "mommy." It was a strange experience._

_I don't know why I'm writing you all of this. Do the everyday matters of your friends seem trivial compared to ruling over Hell? I know you didn't go there seeking happiness or fulfillment. I just hope that you've found an escape. God _(this word was crossed out) _I know it's pointless but I'm trying to figure out a way to put this right. I feel like this is my fault with the prophecy Father Kinley spoke about... Especially if what you said to me was true. I wish there was a way I could take it all back. No, that's not true. I wouldn't take our time back if somebody paid me your wealth for it._

(The writing was getting smaller as the back of the page was almost completely full)

_I miss you. I love you. I hope you'll write back. If nothing else, keep this and know I'm doing somewhat okay. I hope you are doing better._

_Yours,_

_Chloe_


	4. God's Plan For You

"Freeze! LAPD!" Chloe shouted, hand lunging for her gunbelt and drawing her weapon, training it skillfully at the assailant. The woman in question jerked around and sprinted around the corner, long, brown hair trailing behind her loosely. Chloe sighed exasperatedly, holstering the gun and beginning her pursuit. She was not in the mood for this.

Around the alley and down the next street over, Chloe had made substantial gains on the other woman, who was limping significantly. She had her before the woman could enter traffic on the busy downtown street, tackling her to the ground and kneeing her back as she reached for her handcuffs. Dan came running up from his route meant to cut the subject off moments later, helping her haul the person of interest to her feet.

"Delilah Burns?" Dan asked her. "We need to ask you a few questions at the station."

"I didn't do anything!" The woman, Delilah, shouted in return, eyes looking around frantically. "I didn't kill him!"

Chloe sighed again, catching her breath as she adjusted her jacket. LA in the summer wasn't a joke, and she was beginning to perspire in the heat. She grabbed Delilah's other arm and together the two detectives escorted her to the back of the waiting unmarked cruiser. Chloe's head wasn't here; she kept thinking about Amenadiel. It had been three days since she had left her first note. Amenadiel had come back but hadn't had anything to report. Yes, he had seen Lucifer. No, Lucifer didn't look hurt. No, Lucifer hadn't passed along a message back to her. Yes, he looked tired.

"I forgot to mention," Dan said after they'd closed the door behind the now-weeping Delilah, "You got a call while I was waiting from the precinct. Gloria said somebody stopped by to see you. Didn't recognize him. Accent, bearded, very calming. Do you know who that is?"

Chloe frowned and shook her head.

"Did she -"

"Yes, she went back to the security cameras to see if his face matched any records. Nothing. Look," he reassured her, "she didn't sound too worried. If anything, she seemed to think he was a good guy."

"Hmm," she murmured thoughtfully as she climbed into the driver's seat and buckled up. Dan followed suit, taking shotgun. "I'll have to see who he is when we get back."

The ride back was quiet. Chloe was very aware that there was a crying subject in the backseat, partially because she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up like they did when she thought she was being followed, but mostly because there was loud sniffling as she continued to cry. It was distracting, but was better than stifling silence that would otherwise have enveloped her.

Why didn't Lucifer send a response back? Had that note been too personal or too painful for him? Had he been trying to forget her and didn't want to encourage her behavior? Had he forgotten her already? She remembered once upon a time that he had said time worked different in Hell. How long had passed for him since he had descended from earth?

These and more questions swam through her mind, each passing through her direct thoughts and then passing to the subconscious to provide a drumming of constant questions. It was steadily bringing about a headache. Thankfully, these thoughts were easier to push down as she pulled back into the precinct parking ramp. The shadows of the ramp soothed her hurting head, and she took a deep breath as she parked and turned the car off. It was time to move onto the next stage of the investigation.

The precinct entrance was...calm. As Chloe and Dan escorted the subject through the doors and handed her off to a couple of officers stationed nearby, Chloe looked around herself suspiciously. The usual din of ringing phones, short conversation, and mingling employees was still apparent, but everything was so...happy. People were smiling, even a few criminals who sat on chairs waiting to go to processing. The atmosphere seemed light and airy, the exact opposite of the usual feeling of the LAPD precinct.

"Wow!" Dan exclaimed. Chloe turned to agree with him, glad she wasn't the only one seeing the strange situation, but was surprised to see he too was smiling. His eyes looked less tired than they had in a long while and he also seemed...happy.

"What's going on?" she asked uncertainly, "Are you okay, Dan?"

"Never better!" he replied. He looked down incredulously at himself, raising his arms out as if he was showing her he was indeed better. "I haven't felt this okay in a long time, Chloe! Can't you feel it?"

She shook her head. What in the world was going on?

Dan grinned at her and let his arms fall down. He bid her farewell at the front desk and walked - practically pranced - to the elevator, a spring in his step. Chloe blinked in confusion and stared after him for a moment. What was going on?

Gloria behind the front desk was just hanging up the phone with a pleased expression when Chloe approached her. She smiled at the detective.

"I have that information about your gentleman right here," she said before Chloe could speak. A clipboard with a single sheet of paper was presented to her. She took it with hesitation, nervous.

"And he seemed...okay?" She asked tentatively. Gloria was beaming now.

"Oh yes," she replied with gusto. "Ever the charmer. I hope you track him down! He's welcome here anytime!" With a flourish of a wave, Gloria began to hum and returned to the ringing phone.

Chloe caught the elevator as the doors were closing, sliding into the empty space. She pushed the floor and then glanced down at the clipboard. Elevator music floated absently through the air as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and read the brief description. Medium build, muscular, curly dark hair and an olive complexion, dark eyes. Called himself Michael. No last name. There was a picture which accompanied the description, a bit blurry and at an awkward angle. The man standing there was exactly as described, as best as she could see. She had no recollection of this man on any of her other cases or any other professional or personal purpose.

The elevator dinged to the homicide division floor and Chloe was thrust back into reality, at least on this floor of the normal variety of chaos. She looked up and stepped off the elevator, looking around suspiciously to see if anything seemed off. It all looked normal.

At her desk, her work phone was blinking. She looked at the caller ID. Trixie's school. Chloe glanced over at Dan's desk on the other side of the floor, but he wasn't there. The light wasn't blinking on his phone. He would be taking care of whatever was going on, which gave her time to prepare for her questioning of Delilah. Maybe she would ask Ella to come in with her. The forensic scientist didn't tend to get actively involved with the suspects in investigations, but she really didn't want to face the interrogation room alone. Especially since she had become so used to not being alone there.

Setting the clipboard down, she steered toward the lab.

"I don't know," Ella said thoughtfully as they left the interrogation room a half-hour later. "Delilah just doesn't seem like a killer."

"Then why did she run?" Chloe asked, frustrated. They had gotten nothing out of the suspect, but she had to agree. The woman had seemed genuinely distraught and upset.

"She knows something," Ella replied. "Did you see how nervous she looked?"

"Yeah…"

"Don't worry! The forensics never lies, and we'll get to the bottom of it!" Ella gave Chloe a side-hug, and Chloe smiled at her friend. That hug was very appreciated.

"Maybe I should take off early," Chloe said then, feeling weary. Ella nodded vigorously.

"You've been pushing yourself too hard, Chloe. You need to take some time off and process everything."

"I know." Chloe sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time today. She knew there were chores back home waiting to get done, and her thoughts were straying from the case at hand. "Okay, Ella. Cover for me?"

"Okie-dokie!" Ella said cheerfully, breezing away into the lab. Chloe stopped at her desk, grabbed a few things, and heard her cell phone go off. She pulled it out of her pocket. It was Dan. _Trixie got in a fight at school. I have her for the night. Take the evening off._

_Thank you,_ she texted back, relieved. Trixie getting into fights wasn't normal, but this was an area that Dan would be better at taking care of. Especially calm, happier Dan who had shown himself earlier. This way she could get those home tasks done and maybe get an early night's sleep.

And that's where Chloe found herself, elbows deep in scrubbing the counters in the kitchen, when she heard a knock on the apartment door. She was in a state - soapy water covered her legs and the shorts she was wearing, her hair was falling down from the bun she had thrown up to get it out of the way, and she thought she felt suds on her nose. She stood up quickly and grabbed the kitchen towel, drying her face and legs. She tried fixing her bun as she walked to the door, which was knocked on a second time before she got there. She unlocked the door and opened it cautiously.

On the other side of the door stood two teenagers, dressed smartly in suits and ties. They had badges on and polite, smiling faces. Behind them, the sun had begun to set, bathing the alley in an orangish glow.

"Good evening!" The young man on the right greeted, smile becoming more pronounced. He was taller than his counterpart, with well-kept blond hair, bright, green eyes, and a thin stature. The shorter of the two wore a bit more weight around his middle and had an olive complexion and brown eyes. It was very obvious to her the shorter of the two was younger and more unexperienced.

"Um...hello," Chloe replied after a few seconds. She wasn't expecting anybody tonight.

"We're Elder Wolfe and Elder Anderson," the taller, "Elder Wolfe," introduced. "We are missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Would you like to hear a message about Jesus Christ?"

Chloe blinked in surprise. Weren't those Mormons? She'd never met any before, not in person. In her line of work, she was never at home when pamphlets were left at her door by proselytizing people.

"Um...I don't think so," she said slowly. "I have my beliefs, thank you."

"That's okay!" Elder Wolfe responded, still enthusiastically. "Did you, uh, have any work you need help with, or…"

"I'm just cleaning my kitchen, but thank you," she said quickly. "I appreciate the offer though."

The two Elders looked at each other quickly. The shorter one looked down sheepishly while the taller resumed smiling at her.

"We can leave then, but before we do, would you happen to have any tools? Wrench, screwdriver? Elder Anderson's bike is having issues and we don't have any tools with us."

"Uh, yeah, sure," she said. "Let me grab what I have. Hold on a minute, please. Do you want to come in?"

Elder Anderson replied "Sure!" just as Elder Wolfe asked "Is there a man present?"

"No," she called over her shoulder as she headed to the kitchen and to her junk cabinet. "Just me tonight."

"We'll stay out here, then, thank you," he called back. "We aren't allowed to enter the home without a man present."

_That's a bit sexist,_ Chloe thought to herself as she rummaged through the cabinet where everything was haphazardly stashed. Still, she understood and appreciated their honest response. It was barely 20 seconds later when she produced her tool kit, brandishing it for Elder Anderson to take. She grabbed a sweater and followed them out, closing the door behind her.

The bikes were at the bottom of the stairs, and Chloe instantly could see how maybe both of them could use a tune-up. Both had paint peeling, dents and rust, and the worse-off one's chain seemed to be hanging on, not at all how it was supposed to be. She supposed this was Elder Anderson's bike.

The two Mormons got to work, not entirely ignoring her but just chatting to themselves about their plans. Chloe sat at the bottom of stairs, eyeing them both.

"What do you believe about heaven and hell?" she asked them suddenly. Elder Wolfe glanced up at her from where he was balancing the bike while Elder Anderson fixed it. Elder Wolfe grinned, and it was easy to see he was pleased to talk a bit about why they were there.

"We believe that all families can be sealed together forever in Heaven," he said enthusiastically. "By keeping the commandments and our promises to God, we are welcome after this life to be together forever. It's a beautiful thing."

"Sounds like," Chloe said. "What about Hell?"

"Well, we don't really believe in Hell," he replied. Elder Anderson shook his head, and Chloe saw he had gotten some grease on his face and part of his white shirt under his suit jacket. "There is Outer Darkness, but only the worst of the worst go there. Those that chose the wrong side in the pre-existence."

"Pre-existence?" She frowned in confusion.

"Yes," Elder Wolfe said calmly. "We believe we choose our families in the pre-existence. When Satan rebelled against our Heavenly Father, he and his armies were banished to outer darkness. So only the worst of the worst go there."

"Well that's not right," Chloe said before she could stop herself. She clamped her mouth shut, embarrassed. Elder Wolfe contemplated her thoughtfully for a moment.

"We have a few different tiers of heaven," he said slowly. "The highest kingdom, the celestial kingdom, is the heaven you may know about in popular culture. The second kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, is like life on earth now. The telestial kingdom is where the murderers and criminals go. They're all heaven, but they're separated. Only in the celestial kingdom do families be together forever."

Yes, that certainly wasn't right, Chloe thought to herself. Lucifer would have mentioned something like that. And he always referred to Hell as just that, "Hell." No "outer darkness" involved.

"Satan is dangerous," Elder Anderson said, face red from exertion. He had just managed to slip the chain back into the spot it needed to be. "He is always tempting us to stray from our covenants. But Heavenly Father believes in us. Jesus is our brother and he wants us to get back to our Heavenly Father." He plopped the tools back into the tool kit and zipped it shut, handing it back to them.

"Would you like us to come back and talk about God's plan for you?" Elder Wolfe asked eagerly. Chloe let out a small chuckle, shaking her head.

"No, thank you," she said. "Thank you for speaking with me."

The Elders thrust a book into her hand before she could turn it down, and then jumped on their bikes, waving before heading to their next location. Chloe waved back tentatively, before looking down at the book in her hand. The Book of Mormon. Of course. She trudged back up the stairs and into her apartment, tossing the book onto the counter she had been cleaning earlier. She wasn't thinking about picking up where she left off, however. This small conversation with Mormon missionaries had gotten her thinking. What if there was a church that had it all right? What if there was a priest of some sort that could tell her what Heaven and Hell were like? She could learn more about where Lucifer was. Maybe, even, she could figure out a way to get him out of Hell forever.


	5. Chloe's Second Note

_Lucifer,_

_I know you didn't reply. I don't care. I don't want to lose you, at least not in ways I can still communicate with you._

_Trixie got in a fight at school today. Dan says it was justified, but I wonder if she's having issues coping. She really liked you, Lucifer. She misses you, I think. What am I supposed to tell her? Where you are? I don't want her exposed to that, I think that would make it worse. Parenting is difficult. You should give your dad - God - a break sometime._

_I've made a decision. Some missionaries stopped by and talked to me earlier. It made me wonder what churches could have Hell right. Maybe they have an idea how to get you out of where you are. If we could come up with a solution...maybe you could come back. Maybe you could stay with Trixie and me. Maybe you could find a life here, at least for the time being._

_Missing your quips in my latest investigation. I had a chase today and it reminded me of you. She was pretty. Not the killer. She seemed very upset, guilty but not of the crime we brought her in for._

_Will she go to Hell if she feels guilty? How does that even work? It's _(This word was crossed out)

_I hope you're well. Let me know if you have any pointers as to which church could have the most accurate representation of what you're going through. I'm not giving up._

_Yours,_

_Chloe_


	6. My Personal Hell

**Hello! I haven't spoken much just because I'm enjoying writing this and y'all know how to R&R. Thanks for reading so far! I'm dedicating this chapter to fairy goatmother, who followed me as an author for my previous fanfics in 2011 and is somehow stuck still following me despite not knowing much about Lucifer. So thanks for putting up with me!**

* * *

"Missionaries?" Lucifer asked incredulously, in complete disbelief that the detective – _his _detective – would stoop so low for celestial information as to discuss it with proselytizing modern-day Pharisees; well, it was practically laughable! He leaned back in the pew and crossed his legs.

Whether he addressed this single-word question to himself, Amenadiel, or Father Kinley on the other side of the chapel, nobody seemed to know. Amenadiel answered it anyway, leaning forward next to him and steepling his fingers with hands on his legs, resting his chin in thought.

"She told me they were Mormons. Which ones are those again? Are they the science ones?"

"No, _brother,_" Lucifer sighed exasperatedly, "those would be the _Scientologists._ Mormons are the polygamists, I think. At least the majority of the ones I've heard of down here were. Seems to be a common pattern. There's one really bad guy, he's in the VIP section of course, he had over _fifty_ wives –"

"Do you think she can do it?" Amenadiel interrupted, voice low as he turned to stare at Lucifer. Lucifer snorted, letting out a smirk; inside, his insides seemed to start dancing. He didn't want to be caught on the spot for how this thought made him feel. He caught a smirk on Father Kinley's face, the other still within earshot, and he raised his eyebrows. Father Kinley turned his face away quickly, drinking more water, and Lucifer turned back to the discussion at hand.

"I highly doubt I'm meant to go back up there. If this is what _Dad_ wants, then I don't see a way his 'miracle'" – he added air quotes to this word "would be able to help. She shouldn't care, anyway."

Amenadiel stood up and adjusted his shirt. Lucifer followed suit, realizing that his brother wanted to leave.

"Must you go?" Father Kinley pleaded. The siblings turned to him.

"Always," Lucifer said, at the same time as Amenadiel replied "Unfortunately." Lucifer cocked his head and smiled, gesturing for his older brother to lead the way out. He pretended he couldn't hear the quiet sobs that wracked the priest as they left him to his demons.

"Luci," Amenadiel started, "you need to think positively. I think that with time and thought, maybe somebody can come up with a solution. Some of Dad's followers here on earth may have a way to help."

This was a simple slip-up, but it pushed his envy even further.

"Yes, but we're not on earth, now, are we?" Lucifer interjected with a snide voice. There was no way he was letting himself get into this mess of hope and encouragement. That simply wasn't how he operated. He had to accept he was down here forever, as _Dad_ would want. In the end, he had won anyway, despite Lucifer's best efforts to live out his days with the humans on earth.

They were back in Hell now, away from the small escape Lucifer knew he continued to go to just to feel like he was back on earth. They walked down the path back to the entrance, amid the silence, the soft, distant screaming, and the familiar piano. The last was louder than the rest, especially when they walked past the illuminated door his eyes trailed on and lingered. Amenadiel seemed to notice, and he paused momentarily.

"Who's in there, Lucy?" he asked curiously.

"You can't see it?" Lucifer asked in return, voice soft. He blinked and shook his head. "Of course you can't. This, dear brother, is my personal hell, waiting for me to return. Do you hear the piano?"

Amenadiel shook his head.

"What is your hell?" he questioned. Lucifer smiled softly, glancing back one more time at the door.

"The penthouse," he whispered. "And Uriel."

His legs moved forward again, leaving behind his hell. As he strode along, Lucifer forced the desire he felt creeping up back to its subdued position somewhere below his heart. Now was not the time to torture himself again. Amenadiel didn't speak, but he could feel his brother's pitying stare on his back as he led the way.

Once at the entrance, Lucifer sat down on a lower stretch of stone, stretching his legs out in front of him. This position wasn't comfortable, but then nothing really was down here anyway. Amenadiel crossed his arms and stayed standing next to him, eyes still on him. Lucifer avoided his gaze and instead stared into the gates of Hell.

The "gates" were actually a single dark entrance not adorned by specific ornate markings, but rather just another hole in the endless world of doors and stone and heat. Lucifer wished he could hover here, a step outside the door, ready to escape to what he thought was his home once more. He envied Amenadiel's ability to leave greatly. And yet, the company that he craved and the news from the outside world were a welcome distraction from the repetition and utter boredom that enveloped him here. The note from the detective, tucked safely into his pocket next to the first (which was rapidly becoming worn and hard to read every time he took it out), seemed to burn softly against his flesh, as if her fingertips were touching him.

Amenadiel looked ready to continue the discussion about how those on earth could help, but the sudden sound of rustling wings and a new face entering through the gates caused both of them to stop, startled. The only living beings who ever entered the gate were both already on this side of it.

"Rae-Rae?" Lucifer's jaw dropped slightly as he stared at his favorite sibling (he wouldn't admit this to Amenadiel, but he had a sneaking suspicion the eldest brother already knew). He mentally cursed himself and tried to cover his moment of weakness, rising to his feet. "Azrael. What are you doing here? Have you finally come to visit me after all these eons of waiting?"

"Azrael, what's going on?" Amenadiel added, voice full of concern. Rae-Rae's eyes were impassive but darted around, face letting more emotion through than Lucifer imagined his favorite sibling wanted to show.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner, I was…doing research," the younger angel said quickly. "I had to make sure before…well…" she shrugged and looked at Lucifer for a long, silent moment, before turning eyes towards Amenadiel and addressing him.

"I felt a presence on earth," Azrael announced in her innocent voice, which seemed pitched up a bit higher than usual. "I hadn't felt that presence since…well…you know," hands gestured vaguely towards Lucifer, who realized he wasn't being included in this conversation by anything more than a subject. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Azrael. A presence? Well what the bloody hell did that mean?

"Well clearly I'm down here and haven't seen your precious earth in what feels like forever." Lucifer let out a dry laugh, crossing his arms and leaning back against the uncomfortably hot stone as he directed his next question to Amenadiel. "How long has it really been, brother?"

"Almost two weeks," Amenadiel answered, distracted. That was despairing news to Lucifer, who was certain it had been much, much longer. He hated Hell and how it affected time. He opened his mouth to voice his complaint, but before he could speak his siblings were talking like he wasn't there once more.

"And you're sure," Amenadiel was saying slowly. "Absolutely sure. Where?"

"Los Angeles," Rae-Rae said meekly. "Definitely at the precinct."

Amenadiel didn't normally pale, but Lucifer thought he saw the other turn a lighter shade before his eyes. His oldest brother didn't even look in his direction. Lucifer began to think through the fast conversation, trying to put the pieces together. What was going on? A presence in LA, and at the precinct, no less? This thought forced a small memory to the front of his mind: an image of the detective, hard at work at her desk, surrounded by boring paperwork, while he came striding down the stairs to interrupt that important thought with his own more important existence. This memory felt oddly comforting, despite its meaningless and repeating exchange.

"Ella mentioned somebody looking for Chloe," Azrael explained then. "A charismatic person. Made the entire front desk calm and collected."

_Calm and collected? _He sucked in a deep breath, eyes darting back and forth between his siblings. Those were _very _specific words. It couldn't be…

"We'll need to take shifts to keep an eye out," Amenadiel rushed in. "And I can…confront him, you know. I don't think it will help but I can certainly try."

"I can't be here too much; you know, work to do, but maybe we could get Remy –"

"_Michael,"_ Lucifer seethed through gritted teeth, voice coming out deadly even. The other two stopped their talking as if having been struck mute, eyes turning to face him. He stared, eyes wide, between his two siblings. "You're talking about _Michael._"

He said the name like it was a curse word, a dirty taste in his mouth. The brother he had taken care to spend eons avoiding even just the name, avoiding the memories, and now it all came plunging back into the forefront of his suddenly very crowded mind. He remembered the day as if it was yesterday. Yes, _God_ had kicked him out of the Silver City, instigated his fall, but _Michael_ had been the one to, as the modern humans put it, "pull the trigger." Michael had acted out their father's orders to purge heaven of himself, all for an act of wanting to stand for his own truths. Michael had personally given him the boot, with a smug expression and a reminder of who was more important in Dad's eyes. Michael, the two-timing son of a bitch.

"Yes," Rae-Rae said gently, holding his hand out as if to place it on Lucifer's shoulder and calm him down. But Lucifer wasn't through with his very-busy mind. He had just realized the second point.

"Michael is going after the _detective?_" he snarled. Hands balled into fists. He pushed off from the wall and started for the gate, ears pounding. This was the last straw.

"_No, Lucifer!"_

Amenadiel's demanding tone stopped him momentarily, and a strong arm caught his own. Lucifer tried to shrug it off, feeling rather than seeing his eyes glowing. This was the last straw. Michael had been the unnamed source for his less than ideal position for all this time, and now that he was back in Hell, where his brother would have assumed he belonged, Michael was going after _Chloe._ This was completely unacceptable. Punishments fluttered in the back of his mind, punishments that didn't seem brutal enough for just how much hatred he felt for his brother.

"Lucifer, you need to stay here," Amenadiel cautioned. "Listen to me." He pulled on Lucifer's shoulder and Lucifer whipped around, taking an offensive stance. But Amenadiel put his arms up, palms forward, a sign of peace. This was maddening!

"Michael must know about your connection to Chloe. But you're down here now. Perhaps he'll lose interest now that you're back where he thinks you belong."

"She's in _danger,_" Lucifer insisted with an angry snarl. "I need to stop him."

"Let us handle Michael," Azrael put in then. She looked forlorn but eager to help. "Please, Lucifer. You need to stay here. Michael's the only one who could defeat you."

"I know!" Lucifer roared. He threw up his hands and turned around, pacing up the hallway. "I can't just stay here!" He felt desperate – similar to when he had been given that horrible ultimatum between Mum and the detective. He couldn't just sit idly by.

"There has to be a way to get you out of Hell for good," Amenadiel said strongly. "After all that we've learned over the years about the punishments we make for ourselves, isn't it time for you to stop being punished for a crime you committed thousands of years ago?"

"You'd think," Lucifer muttered. He could barely hear through the steady thrum of thoughts that threatened to overpower him. He hadn't felt a cascade of emotions this strong in quite some time. Perhaps since Uriel died? It was not a pleasant experience. "But what is Michael going to think of redemption? Of me being a 'changed man'?" He asked this rhetorically, because they all knew what Michael would think. Michael, God's "perfect" son, obsessed with status quo and not interested in developing changes. There was less a chance of Michael changing his tune than of Amenadiel joining Broadway. Lucifer took in a deep breath through his nose, a small part of him noting the ashy, sharp smells that accompanied Hell and seemed stronger than he'd ever noticed before. It was like he was a new man, after all. Everything finally seemed to focus for him down here.

"Let us at least look, work with Chloe," his eldest brother replied. "Please, Luci. You can't go back up there. You can't provoke him. You know how he is."

Lucifer sighed and turned around, silently conceding defeat. He would remain for now. Any attempt to get to Chloe would potentially make things worse, he could see that. He felt a sting of his pride being questioned, but silently agreed that he couldn't take on Michael. He couldn't win in the Silver City, and he knew he couldn't win on earth.

"Thank you," Amenadiel said with a sigh of relief. "Give us a bit of time. Maybe you can write a note back to Chloe, pass a message along. Offer her words of encouragement."

Lucifer shook his head. He didn't want to get her hopes up that he would ever get out of this forsaken place for good. He didn't want to get his own hopes up, either. He was trying not to, but those letters burning a hole in his pocket made him feel warm and happy again, a feeling so rare here.

Azrael left shortly after, Amenadiel following. They were still working on a shift schedule to keep an eye on Chloe. They had decided not to tell her about Michael, not yet, which Lucifer vehemently voiced his opposition to. The detective had a much better shot at staying safe if she knew whom she was up against. Michael, the conniving son of a bitch, knew how to manipulate and lure. Just the thought alone of his least favorite brother anywhere near the detective – _his detective _– almost made him shudder. And Lucifer was not the type to shudder.

Left alone to his thoughts, Lucifer stormed up the path and started opening doors to Hell. He looked into each one, seeing if he could find a familiar place that would take him back without actually making the mistake he desperately wanted to make. Each door revealed bleak, horrible hells, none of them revealing the warm salty air, the blinding sunlight, and the Los Angeles skyline. For a moment he was tempted to go back to the penthouse of his hell, a shadow of the LA evening he remembered, but he knew that this was a bad move.

He stormed back to the hell he visited most, desperate for company and for somebody to convince him staying was the right thing. He was beginning to believe it wasn't best for all involved, after all.


	7. A Job to Do

"That was interesting," Trixie said awkwardly as they exited through the church doors and out into the sunny Los Angeles Sunday morning. She was walking next to her mom, who was deep in thought and feeling frustrated. This was the fourth church they had tried in two weeks, but with no answers that would help the predicament Chloe was dealing with. Another bust, for sure.

"Mom, are you okay?" her daughter questioned, voice carefully guarded. Chloe looked, surprised, to see that she was smiling up at her uncertainly. Her eyes showed true concern, almost an adult-like appearance that made Chloe mentally slap herself. Trixie didn't need to take care of her, not like the way she used to take care of herself and her mom back in the day.

"Of course, mon- I mean, Trixie," Chloe caught herself quickly, remembering her daughter had asked her to step away from the name recently. "I'm just disappointed we didn't find what I was looking for."

"What _are_ you looking for?" Trixie asked curiously as they climbed into the car. Chloe glanced back at the church with a sigh, feeling burned out from the studying of the past couple weeks and the emotional turmoil it all was taking.

"I honestly don't know," she said softly. "I wanted to learn more about Heaven and Hell, but nothing here seems to fit what I thought."

Trixie seemed to contemplate this for a moment, and Chloe took the opportunity to turn the car on. Within moments, blissful air conditioning was bearing down from the car vents. The sun up above was oppressive in the cloudless morning sky, making the weather feel even warmer than it already did. She got the car in reverse and backed out of their parking spot.

It had been crazy to think she could find a solution in a church. She had steered far away from Catholicism after the last encounter she'd had with Roman Catholics, but she hadn't realized just how many different types of churches there were. There had been the Baptism service, which was very spiritual but members didn't seem to address Hell at all. The early morning non-denominational service provided excellent coffee and donuts (the latter to Trixie's delight), but the focus was all on Jesus and not on temptations or after death. The Methodist and most recently Lutheran worship services were very similar, with structured hymns and repeating verses. But upon her approach to the leaders of each church, asking about Heaven and Hell, none of them really seemed to have a truthful answer beyond personal thought. And of course, if she brought up Lucifer – _the devil –_ they all had the same response: evil incarnate, tempting the world to sin, the cause of the downfall of humanity. That just didn't have the right ring to it.

Yes, it was definitely a crazy thought to think that a couple Mormons inspired her to check out churches. Her family had never really been church-going people, but the thoughts of good and bad, God and Devil, had always just been in the back of their minds. They celebrated Christmas and had occasionally attended Christmas services when she was young, but never had the subject been properly broached before.

"Are we going to another church?" Trixie's voice cut through the din of Chloe's mind, making a face. Chloe shook her head and smiled. Her daughter had endured enough in the name of research.

"No, I don't think so," she replied. "It's not what I'm looking for. Want to go for some early ice cream instead?"

"Yes!" Trixie exclaimed with glee, clapping her hands together. This reminded Chloe of the young family she had seen a few weeks prior, when she first met up with Amenadiel to begin her endeavor to pass notes to Lucifer. Her daughter wasn't necessarily a child anymore, but she still had the tendency to bring a smile to Chloe's face. Trixie was just amazing like that.

They pulled into a local favorite ice cream parlor, which was just opening its doors. It was nearly noon now, and this was the first place they were going to today that both seemed excited to see. Once inside the parlor, the smell of cool air and sweet treats wafted up to them. Chloe breathed in, temporarily indisposed by the smell. She didn't realize she had been craving ice cream.

They each ordered from the nice man behind the counter (a twist cone for Chloe, a chocolate shake ["_small,_" Chloe chided gently when Trixie tried to point to the largest size that came with the extra metal can on the side] for Trixie), and took up residence at the bar counter. The stools swiveled, and Trixie occupied herself with testing the swivel for a few minutes, and Chloe occupied herself with her recent case closure.

While she had been distracted throughout the case, Chloe was happy they had caught the killer, a waitress at the Chinese restaurant where the body had been found. The waitress had confessed he had been hitting on her for weeks, going as far as to try and talk to her after she finished work. When he tried to approach her again, she had brought the now murder weapon. It was a classic case of stalking with repercussions, but it would still be one that would leave the waitress behind bars for awhile. Unfortunate, but murder was murder. She wondered absently if the dead man was in heaven or hell.

"Mom, is Lucifer the devil?" Trixie asked out of the blue. Chloe didn't realize she had been staring at the "Devil's Food Cake" flavored cake/ice cream combination on the board while she was thinking. There was a little pair of devil's horns next to this item. She blinked a couple times before looking down at her daughter, who was sitting straight and looking at her with a thoughtful expression.

"What do you mean?" she asked carefully. Was this something she wanted to fully expose to her? She knew Trixie had handled many bad things, going all the way back to when she had been kidnapped by Malcolm.

"As in, the _actual_ devil," Trixie pressed. "His name is Lucifer. I don't think he's crazy, but that's the only other choice."

"Well, what do you think?" Chloe questioned. Trixie let out a smile, her eyes shining.

"I think he is," she announced. "When I first met him, he scared that bully. Do you remember? How did he do that by only looking at her? It just makes sense. But I don't think he's a bad guy, like all these church people think. He seems pretty cool. I like him."

Chloe chuckled to herself, beaming down at her daughter.

"Then yes," she said after some thought. "Lucifer is the devil. But I agree with you," she dropped her voice down to a whisper as the man behind the counter, name tag reading "Randy," approached with their ice cream treats, "Lucifer is not a bad guy."

They were a couple bites into their ice creams when Trixie spoke again.

"Is Lucifer in Hell? Is that why he's gone?" Her question was so simple but held a lot of weight. This one Chloe didn't mind answering, after swallowing both physically and emotionally.

"Yes," she replied, dabbing her chin with a napkin to catch the escaping melted ice cream. "Lucifer had to go back to Hell. He had a job to do, after all."

"What a stupid job," her daughter muttered, ice cream all over her face. She looked put out. "I think he was much better helping you solve crimes. He seemed really happy! And he really liked you."

"Do you think?" Chloe mused with a small smile. Trixie nodded fervently.

"Does he get to come and visit?"

"No, I don't think he does."

They finished their ice cream treats in silence, Chloe glancing down at Trixie in curiosity. Her daughter seemed to take these kind of things really well. Did she get that from her, or from Dan? She wasn't sure. She knew her response to finding out the truth had been much bigger, but Dan would probably take things even harder if he ever found out. She wished she could involve him, though. He had a unique way of looking at things, at tackling the research, that would really come in handy in a situation like this.

"Do you want to talk about the fight?" she questioned as they climbed back in the car and headed for home. She had been avoiding the subject and Trixie had kept to herself since the incident over a week prior. It probably wasn't healthy for them to avoid it, especially if Chloe didn't want it repeated. Trixie sighed, buckling and looking at her knees.

"Somebody was making fun of me," she admitted, setting her face in determination. "But I was totally justified. All I did was push him. He fell down and skinned his knee and called the teacher on me."

"Well, you need to be careful," Chloe warned. "Getting into fights, even justified ones, might get you in bigger trouble than just with your dad and me. Sometimes people can make fun of us, but we just have to take what they say, thank them, and move on."

Trixie made another face.

"Thank them?" she asked, unsure. "I don't think we're supposed to be thanking them for saying rude things."

"But it'll throw them off, right?" Chloe winked. Trixie smiled again.

"Yeah, I guess," she said with a laugh.

"So this kid was making fun of you. How?"

Trixie sighed and looked out the window. Chloe waited patiently, turning into a busy intersection and heading back towards home.

"He said I had bad parents," she said quietly, hiding her face from Chloe again. "Because you're not together. He said having more than one daddy was weird."

"But you don't –" Chloe caught onto what she was saying and stopped. She remembered Lucifer dropping Trixie off at school a few times. Is this what the bully had meant? It was clear that's what Trixie thought.

"I'm sorry, monkey," she said before she could stop herself from referring to the pet name Trixie had decided wasn't hers anymore. Trixie didn't seem to mind in this moment. She kept looking out the window, while Chloe thought to herself about the implications of Lucifer being in Trixie's life for so long having an impact on the rest of her life.

After they got home, Chloe found herself sitting at the counter, teeth chewing thoughtfully on the ballpoint pen in her hand as she stared at the blank sheets of paper in front of her. It was time for another note to Lucifer, but she didn't know what to say. Trixie sat at the table across the room, working on her homework. Music played in the background, softly so as not to distract either. It seemed they were both distracted, though, which became prevalent to Chloe when her daughter snuck up behind her and looked over her shoulder.

"What're you writing?" she questioned. Chloe jumped. Trixie grinned sheepishly.

"Uh, a note…to Lucifer," she admitted. Trixie grinned even wider, eyes lighting up.

"Can I write him a note, too?" she asked excitedly. Chloe thought for a moment and then smiled at her daughter, handing over an extra sheet of paper.

"I think that's an excellent idea," she replied. "Let's both write him a letter."


	8. Chloe's Third Note (And Trixie's First)

_Hey Lucifer! Mom said I could write you a letter, so here I am! It beats homework._

_Mom really misses you. I miss you too, you know. But I can tell she's been really sad. She was dragging me to churches the last few weeks. Churches! How ridiculous is that? Anyway, she finally told me that you were really the devil and you're really in hell (which I knew already but it was nice to know for sure) and I think that is So. Cool. But it does suck that you can't come visit. Why can't you come visit? If you're in charge, can't you just come back on weekends or something? I think that's a good idea._

_School sucked. I got in a fight with a guy. It reminded me of when I pushed Jenny – remember that bully? And then I missed you more. So you should come visit._

_Talk to you soon!_

_Love, Trixie_

* * *

_Lucifer,_

_It's me again. Obviously. And Trixie, too, she wanted to write you a letter._

_She knows, Lucifer. I don't know how I feel about it, but it's almost like she's known all along. It makes me feel like an idiot for not believing you sooner. I'm sorry about that._

_No luck with the churches. I'm sorry I didn't write sooner, I've just been so focused on helping you, but it's all turning up crap here. It's so frustrating!_

_We closed that case I wrote about. I've been finishing the paperwork and it's been abnormally quiet at the precinct. There's this random guy that keeps trying to stop by and talk to me, but somehow I'm always gone when he does. Everybody always acts weird when I come back and they say he stopped by again. They're all really…normal. Too normal. I wish I had your insight on this. It must be a coincidence._

_I wish I could help you. I just don't know how, Lucifer. I hope you know I've been trying as hard as I can. I don't want to lose you forever._

_Yours,_

_Chloe._


	9. Sacrilegious

Monday morning was bustling at the precinct, for which Chloe was grateful. Today was the first weekday of summer, and Trixie was staying home all by herself (Chloe insisted she text if she needed anything and to check in at least twice throughout the day). Just leaving the house that morning gave her anxiety, which meant that she needed a good distraction to get her mind focused back on finishing the paperwork for the last case. That's how she found herself in the lab with Ella, who was tying up loose ends with the case's evidence. Not that Chloe could even begin to pay attention to the topic at hand.

"Going back to the evidence, it's clear now that the waitress did it," the spunky woman was saying with one of her 'I should have seen it!' stares and a triumphant flourish of the last evidence bag as she reintroduced it to the table, "so I think this should help wrap it up."

"Makes sense, thanks Ella – hey, can I ask you a question?" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself, and Chloe inwardly winced at her own boldness. She didn't normally broach the subject of religion with Ella, mostly because before she hadn't really believed in any of it. This time, now that she was a firm believer (thanks entirely to Lucifer's other side), she realized their conversation could be an interesting one.

Ella smiled at her directly, perking up again.

"Of course, Chloe," she answered with a knowing look. "I'm here for you!" The other woman's eyes seemed to all but scream 'talk to me about Lucifer, I know you want to.' Chloe cleared her through uncomfortably and dived in before she changed her mind.

"Okay. Um, well… what do you think about Heaven and Hell?" She cocked her head as she said it, holding her breath as she waited for the answer.

Ella looked taken aback by the seemingly random topic, blinking a few times while processing. The topic indeed would have been random if not for Chloe's every other thought tracing back to her fruitless church visits throughout the past couple weeks and her waning determination to help Lucifer solve his Hell problem for good.

"Well, I believe in them," Ella started, gesturing with one gloved hand and smiling uncertainly. "I mean, that's a huge part of Christianity. Heaven for the good and Hell for the bad and all."

"But what do they _mean_ to you?" Chloe pressed on. "I mean, what do you see them for? How do you get to Heaven? Or how do you end up in Hell?"

"Feeling religious today?" Ella teased lightly. She grinned but looked up to the ceiling, deep in thought while her fingers pulled at the gloves, snapping them off her hands. It took another moment and her beginning to clean up the lab for Chloe to receive a clearer answer. "Here's what I think – Heaven is the goal, right? We all want to go to the better place when we die. But do we all think we're worthy enough? Have we done enough good to earn our way up there? I think that can get people caught up. I've seen lots of people struggle with feeling guilty for not doing 'enough' to get into Heaven. And I think the purpose of Hell is to punish those who don't feel that guilt. Like Hitler. I bet he's in Hell, because he probably didn't feel guilty about what he did. Does that make sense?"

"It does," Chloe said slowly, leaning on the table. She should have known Ella would have answers: this was already sounding better than any of the church opinions she had gotten before now. "One more question then, and then I'll stop bothering: what if the guilty feeling people end up in Hell, too? What do they do?"

"That's a…specific question," Ella laughed and tilted her head quizzically, reaching to grab the cardboard evidence box. "Here, hold this." Chloe complied, getting a good grip underneath the box and watching as her friend piled items inside.

"I mean, there has to be a way for them to forgive themselves, to realize the guilt is not how they should be feeling, right? Forgiveness is tough, but I would think that's what they need to do. Forgive themselves."

"Forgive themselves…" Chloe echoed, mulling this answer over. Forgiving themselves? Could that be the answer? It seemed such a simple thought, such an easy solution, and yet it couldn't be _that_ simple. Right? She set the box back on the table and Ella slapped the lid on with a satisfying sense of finality.

"Thank you so much for answering, Ella," she gratefully supplied, smiling at her friend. Her insights had given Chloe clarity in multiple situations before, and she was always thankful to have Ella Lopez in her life, professional and personal.

"_There he is!_" Ella exclaimed excitedly, breaking Chloe from her well of thoughts. She was gazing wondrously past Chloe's left shoulder, and Chloe turned to see where she was looking.

_It was him._ The man who kept stopping by when she wasn't available. Middle build, middle height, curly brown hair, smooth, olive skin. His eyes seemed to search around, unaware of the people who all seemed to be staring at him. Chloe looked back at Ella to find she was smiling wistfully at him herself. What the hell?

The man spotted her and his face lit up; not in an excited way but more in a curious but enlightened way. He waved at her, and Chloe glanced back at Ella to make sure the wave was being directed her way. She tentatively waved back, propelling her feet out the door and leaving Ella to her swooning.

She supposed he was handsome. He wore comfortable, loose-fitting clothes that looked more appropriate in some stereotypical 90's Egyptian movie than here in downtown LA. But the man looked comfortable in his skin, and she supposed that counted for something. As she stepped out of the lab, she offhand noticed that this floor of the precinct had suddenly much more quiet, much less busy, and once again, abnormally _happy. _Her internal deductive process realized this definitely meant something was not quite right, and it definitely had to do with the man in front of her.

"You must be Detective Chloe Decker," the man said matter-of-factly as she approached. His voice was calm, baritone, and oddly soothing. Chloe nodded cautiously.

"Can I help you?" she asked uncertainly. The man smiled, extending a hand.

"I am Michael," he introduced calmly. "I was hoping to speak with you." Chloe accepted the hand, noting the smooth, cool skin as she shook it.

"Let's go in here," she gestured to the interrogation room. _Away from all these prying eyes_, she added mentally. She could practically feel Ella's gaze over her shoulder and at Michael's face.

Michael…she blinked in surprise for a second. _Michael_? Was this…

He obliged her outstretched arm's direction to the interrogation room and glided across the floor, opening the door and stepping inside. Chloe followed suit and shut the door behind her, feeling the connection instantly cut from those who were watching the newcomer.

She didn't even let him get a breath in.

"Michael? Are you…are you another brother?" she asked, words rushing out of her mouth. She could see it, inwardly. The calm demeanor, the looking out of place but fitting in extremely well. It was a combination that Lucifer had pulled off in their years of work together over and over, fitting in as a human but also keeping his individuality.

This question seemed to catch Michael off-guard, before he quickly composed his face and gave a curt nod. The pleasant expression was still there, but something underneath it felt off to her.

"I suppose you could say I am," Michael answered. "If, of course, you're referring to my fallen brother." He picked a speck of invisible dust off his tunic and flicked it away. "He has not been a part of our family for a long, long time."

Michael, the archangel, was standing in front of Chloe. From what little she knew about him, he was supposed to be God's greatest warrior. He stood for good in every story she could think of, but that was about as far as she got with knowing the angel in mythology.

"I have been trying to speak with you for some time now, Detective Chloe Decker," Michael said.

"Oh, I know," she said, half-scoffing. "Every time you're here, the precinct is all _weird._ What is that? Do you…do you have _mojo_ like Lucifer does?"

Michael frowned.

"Mojo?" he repeated. "I am unfamiliar with the term."

"You know, like his desire shtick," she explained. "He can get people to tell them what they desire. Do you do the same thing…but make people feel happy?"

"I suppose I do," Michael replied. He raised an eyebrow to her. "But not with you, it would seem."

"Lucifer's doesn't work on me, either," she said. "I thought…he thought it was because I made him vulnerable. But I don't even know you."

"Please discontinue from using my no-longer-brother's self-given name, it's sacrilegious."

His tone was sharp and swift, and she blinked. The underlying mood of the room rose to the surface a bit more.

"What are you doing here?" she blurted out. "What are you doing in LA?" The question was harmless enough, and it had her absolutely perplexed. Why was he here, at the precinct, wanting to talk to her, of all people?

This question exposed more of the underneath expression, which she now realized was a combination of danger and distaste; her stomach was in knots from this mood. Michael frowned at her again before giving her his simple answer.

"I am here because Samael has been disobeying his orders for some time now, and you seem to be the root cause."


	10. Go Back to Hell

If he even entertained the idea that somebody could recognize him now, Lucifer was dead wrong. He was smiling as he pushed out the door with his elbow, timed to a cheerful "ding!" of the bell as he exited the 7-11. Taco Bell Chalupa in one hand, large cherry slurpee in the other, he set out on foot, opting against taking one of his more distinguishable automobiles. His feet felt the Los Angeles pavement as unfamiliar in these trainers (or _sneakers,_ as the retail store clerk insisted) – still high-end, of course, but a far cry from his typical more fashionable footwear. He wore dark blue jeans (having said a hearty "hell no" to wearing anything khaki) and an equally dark simple t-shirt, which fit oddly at the collar. After choosing to wear tailored shirts with proper collars for the past several years, this ensemble felt more than just dressing down to him. Topping it all off with a snapback and a gold chain around his neck, a style he had seen in many people throughout the years in this city, Lucifer thought smugly to himself that he had done a pretty good job of blending in. After all, he couldn't risk exposing himself to any who would recognize him; least of all, somebody from the precinct or any of his siblings, three of which were currently in the city of angels, most likely only a few blocks from him.

So here he was, not realizing just how much he missed food or taste in general, taking a loud swig from the slurpee before enjoying a bite of the chalupa. Ah, simple food. There was something about coming back to earth after some time away that made him appreciate all the things this planet had to offer. While it had only been about a month in earth time, it had felt much, much longer down in that hot, disgusting Hell. By all means, he should still be down there, but he hadn't been able to take waiting. Lucifer Morningstar was not a patient man. Just the thought of waiting made his legs thrum in boredom, eventually to the point where his whole body was vibrating with the desire to take a short vacation. Yes, that's what he was calling this. A very short, completely under-the-radar vacation.

Being only a few blocks from the precinct, Lucifer had chosen this particular location as the perfect spot to enact his incognito plan. Upon his ascent back to earth, he had landed on his familiar beach and had been greeted by partly cloudy skies and similarly oppressive heat as he had just left. That salty breeze had enveloped him in welcome, but having no time to dally about, he had quickly set his ingenious plan in motion.

Lucifer found a bench past the strip mall, a bright green metal seat above a concrete base (could you say brutalism?) with an "ADVERTISE HERE" sign on it. The sun was beating down, no shade in sight. Sighing disgruntledly at the state of such a common piece of furniture he was resorting to associating with, Lucifer raised his arms and sat on the hot seat gingerly. The entertainment in front of him as he finished his dinner were cars that rumbled in wait, air conditioning blasting as they idled impatiently for the streetlight at the intersection to turn green. This was not where Lucifer would have seen himself even a month prior.

"Mr. Morningstar?" A velvety, smooth voice interrupted his self-reflection. Lucifer looked up, smiling widely to see his "plans in motion" helper, standing in a cute dress and bearing the happy, flushed expression of somebody who had recently gotten too close to his brother.

"Yes?" He asked sweetly, wiping his hands on the napkin it came in, and gesturing for her to sit next to him. She took a quick, grossed out look at the bench before smiling uncertainly and joining him.

"She's in the precinct," the woman said quickly, voice a bit breathless and eyes shining. "It was very nice in there. People were very friendly."

"Would you say…calm and collected?" Lucifer hazarded a guess, cocking his head. She nodded, face releasing into a full smile.

"Yes, yes I would," she said dreamily, sneaking her hand up his thigh. A car honked in front of them, but Lucifer bore it no mind. "It's very nice in there. You're very nice, too. Would you like to come back to my apartment?"

In between his mixtures of horror and anger, he managed to smile for her, politely declining. The woman, whose name he hadn't bothered to learn (he was in a hurry, damn it), looked upset but certainly not too annoyed as she stood up and walked away. She couldn't help it, there were too many artificial influences on her feeble human brain to think straight. A part of him languished after her and the physical comfort she had been offering, but he sternly told himself off. Now was not the time, and this was a minor inconvenience for the truth.

So Michael was currently in the precinct with Chloe. He _had_ to get a closer look. But how? That place was impossible to sneak in without being detected. He wouldn't be able to get in himself, but maybe he didn't need to in order to have eyes inside.

An idea forming in his head, he took out the burner phone he had purchased specifically for this trip. If he could somehow get in contact with the right person…

A phone call and two transfers later, the familiar voice of a perky forensic scientist met his ears.

"Forensics," she said, sounding very distracted. He dryly thought to himself the most likely reason why.

"Don't freak out, it's me, Lucifer," Lucifer began. He waited a moment to give her the proper amount of time to move past any auditory reactions before continuing. "This is a secret matter, Miss Lopez. Please don't tell anybody I called you. I need your very capable help."

"Are you sure _my_ help is the help you need?" Ella asked with a knowing voice; under the surface of her tone, he could hear the excitement seeping through. He could practically see her grin from this side of the phone, and he rolled his eyes at the stream of cars that began moving with the traffic light's change to green. _Oh, Miss Lopez_.

"I'm looking for somebody important, and I think you may be in the exact right location to help me," he said further, his voice hinting at the hopefully obvious connection. Much to his disappointment, Ella did not bite.

"Who are you looking for?" She asked breezily, tone indicating she was distracted again.

"He's shorter than me with dark curly hair, dark eyes, feelings that make you all happy and relaxed?" He asked, sarcasm dripping into his attempted normal tone. "Perhaps in your very vicinity?"

Ella gasped in excitement.

"You mean Michael? _He's here right now!"_ She whispered breathlessly. "Lucifer, he's great! And he's really handsome. Not that you needed to know that. You definitely didn't need to know that. I mean, you're handsome. Not that I think –"

"Yes, breathe, Ella," he reminded impatiently, foot tapping against the sidewalk in thoes uncomfortable shoes. He would need to change out of them as soon as possible. "What's he doing there? Is he talking to the detective?"

"Yeah, they just went in the interrogation room. Not _interrogating_ – Chloe, I mean. I think they went there to talk."

"Alone?" His heart seemed to stop. What was Michael after? Was he planning to hurt her?

"Of course, silly. Why?" Ella didn't seem to concerned. Of course she didn't. "Oh hey, Dan!"

Dan. Of course. Perhaps he could help…

"Ella, can I talk to Detective Dou – _Espinoza_?" He asked as politely as he could through gritted teeth.

"Sure!" There was a jostling noise, some offhand comments ("_Who is it?" "Lucifer, can you believe it?" "_LUCIFER?" "_SHHHHHHHHHH! It's a secret!") _and the phone got handed to Chloe's ex-husband. Lucifer rolled his eyes hard and worked on keeping this part of the conversation pleasant.

"Lucifer? Where have you been? I could be so angry right now, but honestly I don't really care," Detective Espinoza said. He seemed to be struggling to be angry, indeed. Lucifer was impressed he was fighting the happy thoughts in the first place. "Look, you hurt Chloe. And that's just not cool."

"Detective Espinoza, nice to hear from you again too," Lucifer said smoothly, bypassing the last remark. "Look, I need you to keep an eye out on Michael. He seems untrustworthy and far too interested in the detective."

"Why should that matter to me?" the other man asked in a flippant tone. "I'm not her keeper. But he doesn't seem like a bad guy, Lucifer. Maybe you should talk to her yourself. And _apologize._"

"Yes, well I _can't,_" Lucifer emphasized. "The man she's speaking to…he's my brother, and he is not the right person for her to be around – at all. He has a calming effect on people, and that's why you're all so annoyingly happy right now." He sighed, knowing his explanation would fall on deaf ears.

"He's your brother?" Detective Espinoza sounded surprised. "Where do you – never mind, you must have one massive adopted family. Look, I trust my gut in these situations, and my gut is telling me he's an okay guy."

"Yes, well, your gut would, wouldn't it?" Lucifer huffed. "Thanks for your complete lack of help, Detective _Douche._" He hung up with a graceful flourish, before taking another long sip from his rapidly-melting slurpee.

Well, with Michael's effects around, this was going to be more difficult than he thought. He got up, tossing the rest of his mostly finished slurpee into the trash can next to the bench before putting the burner phone in his back pocket (no nice suit jacket pocket to stick it in now) and setting off down the sidewalk, which was busy with passerby who didn't give him second glances. He knew one of his siblings was close by keeping tabs on Michael, but he wasn't entirely sure which one. Just in case, he kept a watchful eye on people mingling nearby as he debated on a formal break-in to the precinct. Alas, his dream to blend in seemed doomed from the start, when the alarmed face of his younger sister appeared in front of him, and then he was being pulled to a nearby alley.

"Rae-Rae, fancy meeting you here!" Lucifer exclaimed in mock surprise, a grin settling on his face. "I was out for a nice stroll, taking a quick breather from the dreadful boredom of Hell, and –"

"_Lu, what are you doing here?" _Azrael asked in a mortified tone, wide eyes made even wider by the presence of her plate-sized glasses. "Michael is inside! You need to go back to Hell now!"

"I can't." He shrugged, arms out with a firm expression. "Look, nobody at the precinct will listen because of his stupid charming ways, and I don't want the detective getting in the middle of our family squabbles. And yet he has her alone! Right now! You of all people should know how dangerous that is!"

"I know," Rae-Rae enunciated, holding out her arms in a mirror fashion. "Look, Lu. Amenadiel and I are ready to confront him. I need to get back in there and back him up. And you need to _go back to Hell."_

"Can't I stay and wait for the postgame report?" He asked sweetly. His favorite sibling stared at him with wide eyes before resigning her argument with a sigh.

"Stay out of sight and wait for me. Do not try anything. If Amenadiel finds out you've left Hell, he's going to be angry. And you know how he is when he gets angry."

Lucifer rolled his eyes for the second time today.

"I remember," he said, "more than you know." But he agreed to wait, hiding in the shadows of the alley like a common street criminal. Azrael gave him one last stern look – so adorable on her young face – before disappearing back inside. Lucifer huffed in annoyance and shuffled his feet, hating the feel of the trainers.

"Blasted – things –" he cursed as he stopped and worked on kicking them off. Even going barefoot would be easier than this, and he was far enough away from the detective that he shouldn't bleed if he stepped on something bad. He couldn't just sit here though. He'd go mad waiting. Azrael had simply told him to stay out of sight. She hadn't said specifically _where _that had to be. And home was calling with all of his favorite things: liquor, his two beautiful pianos, an excellent sound system, and a fresh change of clothes. Perhaps he could even pick out a new suit for the inevitable return to his dismal, dreary hell.

Once safely in the back of an Uber, tuning out the cheerful top 40's music that wafted through the car speakers and the blissfully silent driver, Lucifer thought back to the situation at hand. Amenadiel and Azrael claimed they had it covered. But he wished he had the guts to face Michael on his own.

How would that conversation turn out, anyway? Lucifer thought back to his life back before he'd been cast out of the Silver City, when human creation was an idea in Dad's mind and all angel siblings, driving each other up a wall as siblings tended to do, learned and grew together in knowledge. Michael had always strived to be the perfect son, more so than even Amenadiel. He took great care in learning from God, drinking in every word he said, paying attention to the finer details. When Dad had laid out his plan to create earth and all in it, they had all been tentative, but Michael had embraced it most fully. So in seven heavenly days (time passed by faster there than on earth, meaning millions of earthly years happened in the meantime [who said science didn't appreciate creation?]) all of creation was made. Lucifer, being the ever-curious being, was enamored by the idea of the free will of human creation and didn't regret the decisions he had made to get to know Eve better. What he didn't realize was what kind of chaos this would unleash on his dad's little "pet project," resulting in him being responsible for the punishment and misery of all who sinned from the human race.

Of all the moments that had steered him to where he was today, in the back of this vanilla-scented Uber, there was nothing he clung to more than that final memory of the Silver City. God hadn't even bothered to show him the door himself; no, his older brother, ever the dutiful child, had seemed more than pleased to be rid of him judging by that smirk engrained in Lucifer's memory. He remembered the last glance he had of his once home – the gates, the stars he had created, the vast warmth of heaven that bathed him in its glow – ruined by the twisted face of a brother who was determined he be punished for the very sin of free will. Michael did truly haunt his memories, and the thought of that meeting with the very brother who sent him to Hell, now eons later, made his palms feel sweaty. He realized he was nervous.

Nervous? Him? That was ridiculous.


	11. Lu is Going to Kill Me

"I am impressed that you seem to not be affected by my gifts."

Chloe blinked at the blatant change in topic.

"Your gifts? Oh, you mean the thing where everybody out there –" she jerked a pointed thumb out the closed door they had entered only moments before, "is way too happy and calm and really weird? Yeah, I've ran into a similar situation before." She thought about Lucifer, his "mojo," and how he had tried it on her a few times, always with seemingly frustrated results for him. This made her smile.

"You, Chloe Decker, are the cause of my once brother's inability to perform the one simple task he was given to do," Michael said, eyes taking in the room in front of them. Seeming to make an internal decision, he walked over to the chair behind the table, pulling it out with a loud squeak and sitting gracefully into it. He got comfortable and then looked up at her, eyes impassive but slightly annoyed. Chloe took stock of her surroundings: this was her interrogation room. Lucifer's estranged brother had just sat in the suspect's chair.

_I can do this. I can have a conversation with an angel. Convince him about Lucifer._

"Look, Michael, I don't know how much you know about Lucifer and me," she began, walking over to her normal side of the table and sitting down in return. She folded her hands in front of her on the table, stretched towards him in a sign of peace and openness. "Lucifer is back in Hell, doing his job. I don't know why that's a concern for you."

"He causes nothing but chaos when he visits earth, Chloe Decker," Michael retorted. "This time has been no different. You are aware he was the fall of humanity from the garden, correct? You are aware he led a rebellion against our father, betraying his very trust?"

"Yes, but…that was ages ago!" she answered back, gesturing around the room with her hands as if to point out the very modern accommodations they were in. "Have you even had a conversation with him in the last year? Ten years? Thousand years?"

Michael looked slightly taken aback by her statement, eyes wide and lips parted slightly. In another moment, he quickly composed himself once more, leaning towards her – he once more did not look the least bit perturbed.

"Samael has been the same since the beginning. He has a wild impulse for temptation. He ruins what he touches, and ruling Hell was the only fitting punishment he deserved. I highly doubt he has changed his ways much."

"Then you don't know him at all," she scoffed, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes. On a regular suspect in a homicide investigation, assumptions only led to negative conclusions. "Look, Michael, I appreciate you coming in. I really do. I was looking for answers, trying to find a way to help him redeem himself and earn his father's forgiveness – _your_ – father's forgiveness. He's changed, okay? He's a much better man. He's learned so much, being on earth. He's…he's saved my life. More than once."

"Does a lifetime of poor choices become washed away by one good deed?" Michael questioned, tone low and eyebrows raised. "Do you really think the cause of the fall of humanity can be redeemed?"

"From what I've read, your Father seems to think so," she replied. "Isn't that the entire point of church? Forgiveness of sins leads to redemption and Heaven?"

A flash of what could be anger flashed across Michael's face, but before he could issue his reply, Chloe felt a rush of wind on her face. She suddenly realized they weren't alone, at the exact moment a newcomer spoke.

"Hello, Michael," Amenadiel said, causing her to jump half a foot. She stood up quickly, eyes training on Lucifer's brother, stance alert with his hands folded in front of him. Standing next to him was a petite young woman in a strange robe and large, owlish glasses. Both their faces held almost as much impassiveness as Michael's had moments before. She was beginning to see how the angels were all related.

"Amenadiel, Azrael," Michael sighed, leaning back in his chair. "What an absolute delight to see you."

He did not look delighted.

"What are you doing with Chloe Decker?" Amenadiel asked suspiciously, relaxing his stance and walking forward to stand at the long end of the table, almost between Chloe and his brother. Chloe watched the exchange silently, wondering in the back of her mind if she would need to make a fast escape from an angel fight. Did angels fight? She didn't know. Lucifer had mentioned getting into scuffles with Amenadiel, but that had been back before the latter was immersed into human society.

The other angel, 'Azrael,' Michael had called her, moved to stand next to Chloe. Chloe looked at her and cautiously sat back down. The angel smiled quickly and sympathetically at her, not speaking.

"Simply asking questions, finding out information, and seeing where Father's plan has been failing," Michael replied smoothly. "If you even remember Father's plan, that is."

"Michael, Chloe has nothing to do with anything. Our brother is back in Hell and has no intention of returning to earth. At great personal cost, too." He shot a sideways glance at Chloe, who smiled gratefully. The exchange was brief, however; his eyes hardened as they met Michael's again.

"Everywhere _your_ brother has made a mistake, she has been there," Michael pointed out, emphasizing the lack of familial ties he saw to Lucifer. "He runs around, giving himself other names than his own, further interfering with everything. And I hear you, too, are not a saint, Amenadiel. Word around the Silver City is you have fathered a child. Does that not go against everything Father asked of us?"

"Humanity is a wonderful creation, Michael. How could we not work to understand it, interact with it?" Amenadiel asked, gesturing around him, quite similar to how Chloe had done a few minutes prior. "These people have stories, their own lives, and compassion. Chloe here serves justice to those who don't follow our Father's rules. All Lucifer was doing was helping her. He enjoyed the redemption, far greater than serving the punishment he's forced to do in Hell."

"Which is all by his own design," Michael reminded him. "And all he does is play with people. He toys with them, uses them for his own amusement, and moves on. This time has been no different. He needs to answer to a higher authority than himself."

"And I suppose you're the one to do that?" Amenadiel said, anger spiking into his voice. Chloe felt the hairs on her neck stand up at the same time as she felt a hand placed gently on her shoulder. She glanced up at Azrael, who was gazing down at her. The angel nodded her head towards the door, and Chloe nodded. It seemed the brothers were too busy arguing to pay attention to them anyway, so she stood up and carefully edged towards the door, fumbling for the knob behind her back.

"Eventually, yes," Michael growled. His voice had become predatory and Chloe did not like it one bit. "Chloe Decker needs to answer for how she plays a part in this, first."

Hard eyes found hers and she stiffened next to the doorknob. She wasn't getting out of here just yet. Amenadiel and Azrael turned toward her too. Three angels, eyes all watching her.

"I really don't think this is my place to be," Chloe said weakly. "I'm just a human, a mortal. I haven't done anything."

"Michael, Chloe cannot be harmed in any way," Amenadiel said firmly. "Father's orders."

"Oh, he speaks to you now?" Michael sneered. He stood up and began walking towards her, but Amenadiel stepped in his path.

"Yes, Michael. Over thirty years ago he did."

This caught Michael's attention and his eyes left the staring contest Chloe had found herself locked in. Azrael rushed over quickly, grabbing her arm and beginning to turn the knob herself.

"Chloe," Amenadiel explained, and Chloe found she couldn't take her eyes off the exchange, "is a miracle. Her birth was a direct result of Father's wishes."

Azrael finally succeeded in pulling her out and shut the door behind them, the two of them on the exact wrong side of the suddenly riveting conversation. Chloe let the breath go she didn't know she had been holding in. Azrael let go of her arm.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you, but that was a dangerous situation," the angel said matter-of-factly. Her eyes darted around. "We need to get away from here."

"Azrael, right?" Chloe said slowly, blinking. "How am I a miracle?"

"Uh…" Azrael trailed off, shrugging and slapping a nervous grin on her face. "Amenadiel can explain that. But we really need to go, now. Michael is not one to be tested."

The angel grabbed Chloe's arm and began leading her through the precinct, which was still calm from the effects surrounding Michael. She took a few deep breaths and allowed herself to be directed. They'd made it up the stairs and over to the elevator doors before anybody noticed them.

"What the hell?"

The voice was Ella's, and it was a strangled mix of shock and relief. They both turned to face the forensic scientist, who had her hands spread wide (pile of papers on the floor) and her eyes were as large as saucers. She wasn't looking at Chloe, though; her eyes were fixed squarely on Azrael.

"Rae-Rae? What's going on? Are you – _hey!"_ She practically shouted as her eyes caught Azrael's hand gripping Chloe's arm. "Chloe, you can see her? _You can see her?"_

"Of course," Chloe said, confused. "Why wouldn't I be able to see her?"

"Because she's my ghost friend!" Ella whispered harshly, eyes looking like they were about to pop out of her head. "And you couldn't see her before when she was helping with that case. Oh my God - I'm not crazy. This is amazing! But what's going on?" she repeated then, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Rae-Rae, why can Chloe see you? How can you touch her?"

"Well, shucks," Azrael/Rae-Rae said, laughing nervously. "Lu is going to kill me."

Ella and Chloe looked at each other and back to her.

"Lucifer?" Ella asked slowly. "You know him?"

"Of course, I'm his sister," Azrael shrugged. Ella gaped.

"Ah, Ella, maybe we should do this somewhere else. How about we take a long lunch?" Chloe interjected quickly. Ella stood, frozen on the spot, and Chloe, shaking off Azrael, grabbed her hand instead and pulled them both into the elevator, the angel not far behind. Chloe's heart was pounding, and she knew they needed to discuss everything, just not here. The doors swung shut behind them before she spoke again.

"Azrael, we're going to have to explain everything to Ella," she said, glaring at Lucifer's sibling. "And then you're telling me why I'm a miracle, why Michael is so angry about me, and what the hell is going on with Lucifer."

"Well, for starters, he's waiting outside," Azrael said meekly. Chloe sucked in her breath.

"_Outside?_" she whispered. Lucifer was _outside_? Not in Hell?

"That would make sense, since he called me earlier to check up on you," Ella added. Chloe turned to her quickly.

"_He called you?"_ she emphasized. She rounded back on Azrael, finger pointing in the angel's face.

"Listen," she demanded, "you are going to tell us everything _now._"

The elevator doors dinged open cheerfully and the three of them got off the elevator, Chloe leading the way out the front doors. Lucifer was here. She had to find him. She stopped outside and looked around.

"Uh, guys? He's not here anymore," Azrael laughed anxiously yet again, head scanning around. "I told him to wait for me!"

Chloe's heart sank. He wasn't here. She whipped back around to face Azrael.

"Well, where is he?" she asked, voice pitched higher than she'd like it to be.

"How is any of this possible?" Ella interceded, still staring at the angel. Azrael sighed heavily, glancing around.

"We need to find him _now._" Azrael's eyes darted back to the building behind them. "We need to get him back in Hell before Michael finds out. And yes, I will tell you everything."

Ella closed her mouth again. Chloe pulled her car keys out of her pocket.

"I know where he would go," she said firmly. "I'm driving."


	12. Why Am I Injured?

Walking into his club, where the dim lights and empty space enveloped him, Lucifer breathed a sigh of relief. His earthly home embraced him with the smell of stale cigarette smoke, floor cleaner, and rich mahogany. He smiled, taking the snapback off his head and throwing it, Frisbee-style, across the room with an exclamation of joy. The hat landed with a soft whoosh in front of the bar.

"_Wonderful_," he murmured gleefully to himself as his eyes greedily drank in the space he had missed so much. The alcohol behind the counter, singing to him temptingly; the flickering lights, inviting him to stay; the dark reflection of his excited face in the stunning black piano that sat empty and waiting. He traipsed down the stairs in his bare feet, feeling the carpet beneath his toes. It felt lush and familiar, before transforming into the cool and welcoming hard surface that began at the foot of the stairs. Sitting down gently at the piano, his fingers absently traced the ivory keys. They began to play while his mind savored the moment. Catching up a few seconds later, Lucifer realized what he was playing as Aretha Franklin's "Think" poured out of the piano. He smiled, closing his eyes and savoring the music as he played. Oh, how he missed his pianos.

A minute or two later, he stopped, shouting, "That was fun!" to the space. Having Lux to himself just felt so good. Next, he sauntered over to the bar, sliding over the counter in one smooth vault like he once saw on The Dukes of Hazzard (back when he was trying to break up with Eve, he had a great time watching that show). He came to a stop right in front of the whiskey. Excellent. Grabbing no less than three bottles of the finest whiskey the bar had stocked, he twisted the lid of the first and inhaled the sharp, bitter scent before taking a long swig. Ah, yes. Alcohol was so, so much better here. Leaving the lid laying haphazardly onto the floor, he maneuvered back around the bar (walking this time), arms full of liquor, and proceeded to waltz back up the stairs to his elevator, humming 'Think' as he did so. This distraction was very worth coming back to earth, and he wasn't going to waste one precious moment.

In the elevator, he set down the bottles of liquor and stripped the t-shirt off, exposing his skin to the cool, air-conditioned temperature of the interior space. He would obviously need to address his dreadful clothing situation later, but for now, wearing only the jeans would work for him. He sighed contentedly, drinking more whiskey from the open bottle.

This was all a nice distraction from the problem at hand, and Lucifer was quite beginning to enjoy himself. For a few moments, he had been able to forget the problems with Michael and let his siblings take care of the situation as they had promised to do. He was sure Linda would say something positive about this self-care routing: instead of reminding himself of his early failures, he was focusing on what he could control: his own fun! He smiled smugly to himself at the thought.

He was just finishing his drink – the entire first bottle – when the elevator slowed and stopped, sounding its ding of arrival. He grinned, anticipating the familiar surroundings welcoming him as the elevator doors opened. Then there was a _sharp _sound, like something cutting through air, and then sheathing noise, which he heard at precisely the same moment his arm erupted in pain. A half second later, there was a cluttering of metal as something fell onto the floor of his penthouse.

Lucifer stared in surprise, grin falling as he looked, confused, from the source of the pain in his arm (a standard human knife handle protruded from his bicep) to the shocked faces of Maze and Linda. Maze straightened up quickly and Linda stared, open-mouthed, not noticing the knife she had been wielding defensively now laying uselessly on the floor.

"I – what?" he asked confusedly, before he realized he had dropped the empty whiskey bottle (which shattered all over the floor) and was stumbling forward, out of the elevator. His feet unceremoniously caught both full whiskey bottles, knocking them over, and his next step produced another sharp pain as he realized he'd stepped on glass shards. This was all happening through the sudden muddled mind he was doing his best to work through. The floor pitched in front of him in a very puzzling way – which way was up?

"Lucifer!" Maze exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise as she lunged forward and caught him before he pitched onto the floor altogether. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you in Hell?"

"We thought you were Michael," Linda added on, voice breathless as she stared at the two. Maze helped him over to the couch, and Lucifer groaned at the movement. His arm felt like it was on fire.

"Maze, Linda, as wonderful as it is to see you two, what the _bloody hell_ are you doing here?" he asked through gritted teeth, reaching with his right hand to grab the hilt of the knife. Just that small movement of the knife seared pain through him. Maze stepped back.

"Hiding from Michael," she snapped her reply. "Amenadiel told us to leave the house while he confronted him. Lucifer," her voice dipped lower and she looked around nervously. "Michael is _here._ In LA. You can't be here. You know what happened last time."

Lucifer laughed as he let out a breath and yanked the knife out with all his strength. It was tough to do, twisted up in his muscle, and he felt every agonizing nerve scream in agony as he removed it. The laugh turned into a half-shriek. Linda became mobile again and ran forward, taking off her shrug and pressing it against his now-bleeding wound.

"That's precisely why I'm here," he spat through the pain. "Michael is going after the detective, and I couldn't just –"

He stopped, realizing the very wrong thing that was happening.

"Maze…" he asked slowly. "Is the detective here?"

Maze shook her head. "No, why?" she asked, eyes on the wound. Then her eyes widened too. "She's supposed to be at the precinct, Lucifer, she shouldn't be here."

"…then why am I injured?" he wondered, leaning his head back on his smooth Italian leather sofa, trying to relish in the feeling of familiarity through the waves of nauseating pain. He'd had worse, for sure. Curse his vulnerability for not teaching him to get used to such a sensation.

"I'll call her," Linda said quickly, standing up. "Maze, I want you to tie this tight around his arm."

Maze didn't answer but nodded, and Lucifer closed his eyes. He couldn't face Chloe. He knew he wasn't strong enough to face her and then return to Hell once more. The entire point of his sneaking back to earth was so he could help remove her from danger but remain none the wiser about his temporary return. He felt Maze take over as the shrug pressed tightly against his arm. His fingers felt tingly from blood loss and his cut circulation. What a curious feeling.

"Lucifer, are you okay?" Maze asked softly as Linda ran to the next room. "I'm sorry. I'm just happy I didn't use my demon knives."

"Me too," he replied through gritted teeth. "I'll be fine, Maze. But you need to listen – I can't talk to the detective. I can't face her. Not if I'm to return to Hell."

Maze said nothing, but he felt a comforting hand squeeze his shoulder where it didn't hurt.

With his eyes closed, Lucifer took stock of his surroundings. He could feel the slight breeze from the balcony, a bit warm for his taste but not hot enough to complain just yet. He could hear the soft, shallow breathing of his nephew on the other side of the room. He could hear snippets of Linda's conversation from where she had stepped into his bedroom to call Chloe. He sighed and tried to ignore the pain that shot up his arm. There was no avoiding it now. She was going to know he was back. But he still didn't think he could see her. Maybe now was the time to reply to one of her notes? Or at least her offspring's? He wasn't sure this was the best course of action.

"So what are we going to do about Michael?" Maze asked, voice all business. Lucifer sighed again and opened his eyes, lifting his head to look at her.

"Well, seeing as how I'm indisposed and in desperate need of a glass of something bitter and warm, as well as perhaps some ibuprofen, I really don't think I can 'do' anything about Michael at the moment."

"Well, not alone," Maze said thoughtfully. "But you have a lot of friends, Lucifer. You have a lot of people that can help."

Lucifer huffed. "I was rather hoping you'd take my point about needing a drink and some medicine, but if that's the way you want to go." He shrugged. Internally, the thought of facing his brother after all this time absolutely terrified him. That terror he kept buried down seemed to making his pain worse. Of course, he was tensing up. He tried to relax.

"Maze, please be a dear and get me something for the pain," he asked again, putting on his nicest smile and manners. Maze rolled her eyes but retreated to the bathroom as he wished. Lucifer worked on sitting up, then remembered his feet, too, had been pierced; he was reminded in the most painful way. He hissed and lifted his right foot off the ground, dreading looking down but remaining unsurprised by the bloody footprint that revealed itself from where his foot had been a moment before.

"Best grab some tweezers too," he called out to Maze. He heard an audible annoyed grunt from her, which was acknowledgement enough. Gingerly he lifted his foot to rest on his opposite knee. Across the room, baby Charlie made a coughing sound.

"Oh, it's not so bad," Lucifer replied, as if Charlie had just reacted to his foot. "I've certainly had worse. It just shouldn't be happening now."

"Definitely not."

Maze tossed two objects at him and he reached up automatically to grab them, hissing again when he tried to lift his arm. This made Maze's lips purse into a smirk.

"Oh yes, I suppose this is amusing to you," he scoffed, twisting off the cap and pouring out a handful of pills. She shrugged.

"You're such a wuss," she declared. "Listen, Lucifer. No matter where Chloe is now, if you stay near her, you're vulnerable. You already knew that. And I know that means you need to stay away from her, but if it keeps you alive, I'm down for it."

"I know," he replied dejectedly after washing his aspirin down with whiskey. "It's just a lot…harder than I thought it would be."

Maze snorted.

"Harder," she repeated with a laugh. "Nice one."

Lucifer ignored that comment and got to work removing glass shards from his foot, hissing in pain each time he got another piece out. Maze wordlessly handed him a blood-red towel to soak up the red liquid pouring out of his foot.

Linda returned a moment later, phone falling to her side as she flung herself with a hefty sigh into one of the chairs opposite Lucifer. He had just finished getting the last of the glass out, and was now carefully making another tourniquet out of the towel. His foot stung still, but not nearly as badly as his arm hurt. Maze remained standing next to him, arms crossed. As he set his foot back down and wiped his hands on his jeans, Lucifer silently admired the skin-tight outfit she had chosen today; excellent for her assets and practical for her day job.

"Okay, a lot is happening, and it's not good," Linda said quickly. "Chloe told me they just left the station, your sibling Azrael is helping them, and Ella knows everything. She's coming too. What do you want us to do?"

Ella Lopez knew the truth? This surprised him for a moment. Then he realized if Azrael was there, that would help explain a lot. At least this brought somebody else onto their team. Miss Lopez was nothing if not bright and an asset to any team. There was still another problem, though.

The detective was still too far away to be affecting him like this. He supposed he wasn't surprised; it was probably another manipulation by his father to test him. He was getting tired of nothing staying the same about him. It was mentally and emotionally exhausting.

"I need to get away," he said. "Something is wrong with me and I don't know what, but I can't face her right now." He looked at Linda, pleading with her with his eyes. She nodded in understanding, face a cross between pity and frustration.

"I don't know how much you can avoid the situation, Lucifer, you're bleeding everywhere," she gestured. He looked around and groaned. His leather sofa, covered in blood. Maze snorted at his reaction and he glared at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Look," she said. "We had this spot because there's only two ways in and out. That way we could have the high ground. If Chloe is here too, then we should all be safe."

He nodded.

"I need to change into more appropriate clothing," he announced as he tried to stand up. The towel took the brunt of the force his body put on his foot, but it still hurt. He winced. "And then I'm going to leave before they get here."

"Where will you go, Lucifer?" Linda questioned. Her eyes were wide and kept darting back to Charlie. Lucifer sighed, holding the tied shrug-turned-tourniquet to himself. He took a deep breath, fighting against the dizziness that threatened to overpower him.

"I don't know, but I'll figure it out," he said. "Tell Azrael – tell her to take care of Chloe," he said, turning away.

"Maybe you should go back to Hell," Linda said.

Lucifer shrugged, knowing to himself that Hell was the last place he ever wanted to go back to. No, he would wait till everything blew over and then go back. It was the only logical thing to do in this situation…right? He walked gingerly over to the stairs, and up them to his closet in the corner. His suits sat, untouched, each with a small layer of dust. He picked one out at random, doing his best to get changed without jostling his arm.

Soft voices conversing wafted in the summer LA air over to him as he finished changing. He could tell they were both nervous. He didn't have the heart to admit to them he was, too. Grabbing a pair of his best shoes (he would have to put those on later when his foot felt better), he wandered out in his socks and suit, feeling a lot better. He smiled politely and with a quick shrug coaxed his wings out. This would have to do for now.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and strategize together?" Linda asked, her voice betraying her emotion.

"Oh Linda, sad to see me go? I appreciate your friendship," Lucifer admitted to her. "There just aren't any Dr. Linda Martins in Hell. Not that I haven't tried to find another 'you.'"

"Another me?" she echoed. He grinned, shaking his head. Maybe someday he'd get the chance to tell her. Maybe. And then he realized where he needed to go – somewhere he could talk to somebody. It was that simple.

Without another word he was gone, leaving behind an atmosphere of nerves and anticipation for what was to come.


	13. What are We Going to Do About Lucifer?

When Chloe, Azrael, and a dazed Ella stepped on the elevator to head up to the penthouse, Chloe wasn't sure what she was expecting. Her first hint that something was amiss should have been that there was glass everywhere in the elevator, as well as two crystal bottles of alcohol (one of which was definitely leaking onto the floor, causing it to be slick). Her second should have been the smeared bloody footprints that lead the way back off the elevator. When they reached the top, she really wasn't sure what she was going to find. Her best guess, however, definitely wasn't a crying baby, blood everywhere, and Maze swearing loudly while trying to scrub the sofa. Lucifer was nowhere to be seen.

"What the hell?" she asked as she stepped out with a crunch, her eyes following the bloody trail that led right to where Maze was cleaning and cursing. The pungent smell of lemon cleaner mixed with the rusty stench of blood turned her stomach. It was like being at one of her crime scenes. "What happened?"

"Turns out Lucifer is vulnerable all the time now," Maze announced with a grumble. "And of course he takes off and leaves me to clean up his mess. What a saint." She grunted angrily and kept scrubbing at the lost cause of a blood stain on the orange furniture.

"Wait, this is all Lucifer's blood?" Azrael asked uncertainly. "He bleeds?"

"It's my fault," Chloe admitted as she stepped to the side of the blood on the floor, just as Maze changed tactic and dumped the entire bucket onto it with a shriek. "I make him vulnerable."

"I don't think it's you anymore, sweetie," Linda called from across the room. Charlie was finally settling down, and she carefully set him back in the crib before approaching. "That's why I called. You were way too far away for him to be vulnerable by you. My best guess is it's a subconscious effect caused by his being in close proximity to Michael after all this time. He's being reminded of his greatest failure all over again." She sighed and grabbed another rag, joining Maze on the floor.

"Ella, are you okay?" Azrael asked softly. Chloe looked back at her two companions. Ella did indeed look odd, face impassive as her eyes stared at the blood pool on the floor.

"So…" she said slowly, as if coming out of a reverie, "Lucifer is the devil. That method actor shtick was just me trying to make sense of it. You're his sister, Rae-Rae." Ella pointed at Azrael, who nodded nervously. She didn't seem to notice though, and kept going. "Michael is another brother who wants Lucifer to stay guarding Hell. Lucifer doesn't want to be in Hell. Demons are forcing him to stay in Hell. Oh my God, Maze, you're a demon!" Her eyes went wide.

"Present," Maze advertised with a wave of the bloody, soaked rag.

"Ella, are you okay?" Chloe asked gently, putting a hand on her arm. "It was a lot for me to take in, too. But it made sense in the end. And Lucifer is still Lucifer. It was true, he never lied to us."

Ella looked down at Chloe's hand on her arm, and took a deep breath.

"I mean, it would probably explain the body-less grave he had me examine that one time," she muttered. Chloe blinked, tilting her head.

"The what now?"

"You know, from the stab-happy crime. That weird prop knife hot potato murder weapon? Yeah, I was helping him with some super-secret shindig that turned out to be part of the actual case. It was really weird. But…not as weird as him coming to church with me after that, holy shit-balls!" she cursed, eyes wide again. "The devil went to church with me!"

Chloe snorted. That must have been hilarious. She remembered the case her friend was referring to, the one that was all crazy and did not make sense. They hadn't even ever found the murder weapon.

"I remember that…" Linda said slowly. "That was after Uriel died."

"Wait, Uriel's dead?" Azrael asked, now her eyes wide. "How? Does that have something to do with my missing blade?"

Maze chuckled, dropping her rag on the floor and standing up, stretching.

"You'll have to ask your dear brother about that one," she chortled. "It was a whole mess. Uriel was stupid and gave Lucifer an ultimatum. Lucifer chose the third option: kill Uriel."

"He was so upset for so long," Linda added. "He really took a downward spiral after that."

Azrael was silent for a moment.

"Uriel was kinda annoying, but…well, I mean, I really don't think Lu would kill him just for fun, no matter what everybody says," she shrugged. "It just sucks that he's gone. I didn't even know…"

The angel walked past them and out onto the open balcony, mumbling something about needing to be alone for a moment. Ella and Chloe watched her while Linda pried the bucket from Maze's hands and announced she was going to get fresh cleaner. This was for the best, as the liquid that was left in the bucket was pretty bloody. With Lucifer's blood.

"I need to talk to him," Chloe muttered herself, pulling her phone out of her back pocket. Unlocking it, she pulled up her partner's – friend's – whatever he was's – number, and began to type.

_I know you're back, and I know you're avoiding me. I also know you're hurt. Please come back to the penthouse._

She hit send before she could convince the butterflies suddenly dancing in her stomach that it was a bad idea, and put the phone away again.

"Ella, let's get you a drink," she offered, steering her friend away from the bloody mess and over to the untouched bar. Ella settled against the counter, still deep in thought, while Chloe pulled a glass down and filled it almost to the top with whiskey. She took a long drink herself before passing it onto Ella, feeling the bitter liquid burn her throat and warm her chest. Shortly after, she began to feel clarity. Ella stared at the whiskey, contemplating for a moment, before downing the whole thing in one large gulp. She coughed a bit and then stood up.

"All right," she said. "Now that I know what's up, what do we do about Lucifer?"

"What do you mean?" Linda asked from behind the fresh bucket of cleaner. The lemon smell got strong again, taking dominance over the tangy smell of blood still hanging in the air.

"As in, how do we help him? How do we get him out of Hell for good?" Ella crossed her arms and looked up at the ceiling, nodding in appreciation at the chandelier before seeming to contemplate what was next.

"Well you already figured that out, Ella," Chloe pointed out. "Hell needs to forgive itself. Just like Lucifer had to forgive himself, the only way to solve this is to save everybody down there."

"Ohhhhhh!" Linda exclaimed, eyes widening. "That makes perfect sense, Chloe!"

Maze didn't look as impressed.

"What about the demons?" she asked, ignoring the cleaner in front of her now. She sauntered over to the two of them at the bar, grabbing the bottle from between them and drinking some straight. "Their whole point is to torture. Who will they torture if there's nobody down there?"

"Well it's just a theory, but I'm thinking that maybe it's time to teach the demons how to be good. You know, like you." Chloe pointed and smiled at Maze, who rolled her eyes.

"Me? Yeah, not good. Just…adapted," she snorted. Then she straightened up, handing the bottle of whiskey to Linda who set it down on the end table behind her. "But you may be onto something, Decker. Maybe we can do something like that…"

"You got all of this from my forgiveness schpeel?" Ella asked incredulously. "I mean I thought we were talking in hypotheticals, so it was a hypothetical answer. But would it really work? How does Hell even work down there? Something to do with guilt, right? What about those who aren't guilty?"

"That's what demons are for," Maze pointed out. "We enjoy working with the worst of the worst, usually. You know, Hitler, Atilla, Aristotle."

"Aristotle's in Hell?" Linda sounded shocked. Maze just shrugged.

"That's beside the point," Chloe interjected. "I think we really need to start working with people who maybe don't need to be in Hell anymore. Give them the ability to forgive themselves and send them to Heaven."

"Aww, Chloe, that's so sweet!" Ella said cheerfully. "It's so nice to hear you sound positive after the last month. With Lucifer gone, you were so-ooo very great!" she finished lamely as they all looked at her.

"Perhaps I could help," Azrael offered then as she walked back, eyes red-rimmed but determined. "When I meet those who just died, maybe I can help ease guilt and give them the fast pass to the Silver City."

"That's a great idea!" Linda said enthusiastically. "These are all great ideas. There's only one problem."

Chloe sighed.

"What are we going to do about Michael?" she asked for all of them, taking her phone out of her pocket again. It hadn't gone off, to her displeasure. He was avoiding her even here on earth.

_We've got a plan. Please come back. Ella gave me an idea to help you be not needed in Hell anymore._

"Are you texting Lucifer?" Linda asked from next to the crib. Chloe nodded.

"He's not replying," she said shortly. "He's still avoiding me."

The psychologist walked over to her, gesturing her to sit next to the pool of blood. She sighed.

"Lucifer is…complicated. This you know."

Chloe nodded her agreement. Complicated didn't even begin to cover the relationship they'd had, or not had, in the past year or two.

"He's been in love with you for probably a lot longer than he even knows," she continued on. "He just didn't understand what those feelings were."

"He did call me his first love," she whispered softly, eyes watching as Maze joined Ella at the bar. Being back in Lucifer's penthouse just reminded her of the last time she was here. "Back before he left. I told him how I felt and he told me too. And it was just so damn sad!" she wiped away a stray tear angrily, taking in a deep breath. "And now he's avoiding me, and I just feel like it's all my fault. If I'd just trusted him in the first place when I found out, then I wouldn't have fallen for Father Kinley's scheme. I wouldn't have done those things to hurt him and we wouldn't be in this mess."

"That may be so, but it did happen and you need to acknowledge it – both of you," Linda said curtly. "I think right now you two will be better together than separated. And I know Lucifer is scared and he ran, because that's what he does – especially if Maze is right and this vulnerability spell is going to stick around with him this time. But we need him back now, and we need his help to convince Michael to listen."

"Aren't they supposed to fight or something?" Ella asked from over at the bar. "Isn't there a big battle between Satan and Michael in Revelations?"

"That's ridiculous," Maze scoffed. "There already was a battle. In Heaven. You know, Lucifer lost?"

"No, Ella may be onto something," Linda said thoughtfully. "Does anybody have a bible?"

They all shrugged. "I have one on my phone," Ella offered. She grabbed her phone, played around with it for a few moments, and then handed it to Linda. Linda took it quickly and scrolled furiously. It took a few moments.

"Azrael, what do you think?' Chloe asked as they waited. Azrael shrugged. She seemed stuck in a perpetual state of nervousness.

"I don't like my brothers fighting," she sighed. "Lu did start a rebellion in Heaven, big no-no up there, but Michael can be an insufferable know-it-all. Out of all my brothers, Lu was the only one who ever listened to me. I can see them butting heads, but a full-on battle? That seems a bit much."

"Here it is!" Linda exclaimed. "At least I think. _And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him._"

Maze loudly set down the bottle of whiskey she'd been holding.

"Lucifer's a dragon?" she asked, eyes alight with frenzy. "Like, an actual dragon? That is so cool."

"That sounds like the battle that already happened when he was thrown out of Heaven," Azrael pointed out, just as the elevator dinged. "I really don't want my brothers fighting."

"That may be what you'll get no matter what you do," Amenadiel said gravely as he walked in. He didn't seem to notice the pool of dried blood, cleaning efforts, or Ella. His eyes were on Chloe.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked uncertainly. "What happened?"

"I tried convincing him that Lucifer's changed, but he simply won't listen to reason," Amenadiel said, frustration seeping from his voice as he walked over to Charlie's crib and looked down at his son. "He has agreed to stay away from you for the time being, which is good, but I don't think he's leaving earth anytime soon. He seems determined to find fault with Lucifer, despite Lucifer not even being on earth."

Ella let out air in a loud whoosh. Chloe sighed and pulled her phone out again. Linda laughed in that awkward way she tended to do when she didn't want to be part of a conversation.

"Yeah, about that, Amenadiel…" Azrael said, twisting her fingers around each other. "He's…kinda here."

Amenadiel's eyes widened.

"What?!" he practically bellowed, causing Charlie to stir and begin to cry again. Linda rushed over and picked him up, moving out to the balcony to calm him back down.

"He was worried about Chloe and wanted to make sure she was okay," the younger angel explained sheepishly. "I caught him earlier. He was here, and now he's mortal or something, and then he left so he wouldn't see Chloe."

"Which is still absolutely idiotic," Chloe muttered.

"Precisely!" Amenadiel replied, gesturing his agreement through a wide arm wave. "He didn't trust us to take care of her? I just spent an hour arguing with Michael and saying Lucifer's back in Hell, and now it turns out that I've been lying the entire time? What if Michael finds out? Oh, this is bad, Azrael."

"I know," Azrael whined. "We're trying to get him back now."

"Wow," Ella whispered, so quiet Chloe thought she was the only one who could hear. But Amenadiel did hear, and his eyes trained on her now.

"What are you doing here?" he asked suspiciously. Ella chuckled and waved.

"Yeah, she knows," Azrael said quickly. "She and I have been friends for years."

Amenadiel looked like he was about to have a stroke. He threw his arms up over his head, sighed exasperatedly, and turned away.

"I'll go find Lucifer," Maze announced to the room. "I can think of a few hiding places he might go."

"Me too…" Ella added slowly. "Specifically _whom_ he may go to. Now it's a long shot, but do you remember his Vegas wife?"


	14. A Plan

**Hello! Getting an early post this week because I'm busy all weekend. Plus, I know many of you have been waiting for a reunion... Enjoy!**

* * *

"…and that's how I ended up here," Lucifer was saying, stretching out on the sofa with his bandaged foot sticking over the armrest. His good arm was resting comfortably on his stomach, and his injured arm lay awkwardly at his side. He had yet to find a position that worked for the painfully slow-to-heal wound.

"So you saw your brother, ran away from him, got stabbed, and you should really be in Hell?" Candy summarized.

"Exactly!" Lucifer nodded appreciatively. "You always listen so well, Candy. I appreciate your friendship."

Candy rolled her eyes and passed fresh gauze for his arm, which was leaking again. He groaned at the sight, spending precious energy to sit back up.

"Why don't you want to see Chloe again?" she asked, watching as he tugged gently at the metal clips holding the old gauze to his arm.

"Because if I do, I'm concerned I won't be able to leave her again," he replied, grimacing as he pulled the gauze away from the wound – it caught on the skin, causing him to hiss in pain. "Damn – this – vulnerability!" With the third tug, the gauze came away clean, while the wound began to bleed more openly. Candy hissed.

"Lucifer, that needs stitches," she said. "Here, let me go get my sewing kit. I may be able to do it." She looked grossed out but he smiled up at her, grateful. She left the room and he pressed the bloody gauze back to his skin, ignoring the vibrating noise that came from his phone. Part of him was wishing he hadn't grabbed his old phone before leaving the penthouse. He knew it was from Chloe. He could feel it.

"Okay, here's what I got," Candy came back, announcing and showing off her small sewing kit. She sat down next to him and Lucifer peered at the meager choice of thread: pink and yellow.

"I guess I'll go with pink," he said, amused. She laughed.

"Sorry, I don't sew much at all," she apologized as she grabbed the pink thread, a needle from an old, used pincushion, and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. "I learned the basics back in home ec class, but that was a couple decades ago."

"I appreciate any assistance you can provide," Lucifer said warmly. "Will it hurt though? I am getting very tired of this pain."

"Oh! Yeah, it will, but I got you." She reached around to the end table and produced a bottle of whiskey. "This should help!"

He hummed contentedly and accepted the bottle, opening the lid and downing a good portion of the liquid. Candy laughed again, her voice breathy and nervous. He passed the bottle to her to quell her nerves as well. She accepted it and followed suit.

After that, Lucifer sat forward and gritted his teeth while Candy worked on his arm. It hurt all right, almost as badly as the initial pain. He kept his complaints down, however, just hoping to get it over with quickly.

His phone buzzed again.

"Sounds like somebody is trying to get a hold of you," she commented offhand. He looked at her, down at the wound (gross), and back straight ahead.

"I know who it is and I know what it says," he said softly. "I dare not look."

Candy didn't reply to that, for which he was thankful. He just let her work in silence, feeling the tug and the long, drawn-out sting as the needle worked its way through his skin. It was a few more agonizing minutes before he heard the snip of scissors and the triumphant exclamation from her.

"There, all good to go!" She grinned, grabbing the fresh gauze and wrapping it around his arm. Lucifer was pleased to see the wound wasn't seeping anymore.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I owe you a favor."

Her grin became more pronounced as she slid the metal clips into place and stared pointedly at him.

"I will accept your owing me, and I want to read your phone," she announced. Lucifer frowned.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "It may not…make a lot of sense."

"Lucifer, not much about you makes sense," she said honestly. "I've just learned to go with it."

Wordlessly, he handed her his phone, which buzzed a third time before it left his grip.

"Let's see…" Candy muttered to herself, swiping in. "No password, excellent. Here we go. Three new messages, all from…yup, Chloe."

She looked up at him.

"She seems pretty level-headed," Candy noted. "She wants you to come back. Says they have a solution. The newest one says Maze is on her way."

Lucifer groaned.

"Of course. If anybody can find me, it would be Maze," he complained. "Why won't anybody listen to me?"

"Maybe they care about you?" She offered with a raised eyebrow. She glanced back down at the phone as it buzzed again. "This one is a call."

She showed him the phone. Maze. Lucifer took a deep breath.

"Oh, all right," he huffed, grabbing the phone back and jabbing the green button on the screen. "Maze, can't I just have five minutes –"

"Are you with your ex-wife?" Maze snapped back. Lucifer looked at Candy. That was impressive timing, even for her.

"Yes," he answered slowly. "How did you…"

"Ella," Maze said shortly. "Look, are you going to ignore us all day or come back?"

"I need…time, Maze," he reminded desperately. "Plus, I'm still injured, and Candy here has been very helpful in tending to me." He smiled appreciatively at her again.

"Well, Amenadiel wants you back here now or he's going to come fly and get you."

"…oh, brother," Lucifer sighed. Amenadiel knew he was back. Now he was in for it. Today was just not going his way. He was beginning to regret coming back to earth at all.

"Uh, yep. So get back here now."

"Give me a few minutes."

He hung up and set the phone down, closing his eyes. The ibuprofen from earlier wasn't doing what it was supposed to.

"Do you have any medicine?" he asked sweetly. "If I'm going to make it back to LA, I'm hoping to not be in pain."

Candy shot him a grin and grabbed the already-waiting bottle off the end table. She opened the cap and poured out two tablets, before he gestured for more. After a bit of back and forth, they silently agreed on four, which wasn't nearly enough but with the earlier dose and his strange bout of vulnerability ad inifnitum miles from the detective, maybe it would be enough.

"How in the world are you getting back to LA in a few minutes?" she asked.

"Flying." He grinned back at her. That would have to do as an answer for now. She rolled her eyes again but hugged him quickly.

"Come back anytime, but Lucifer? Maybe not injured next time."

He laughed.

"I'll try my best," he promised, placing a kiss on her hand before heading out the door, inwardly cursing his limp from his untended injured foot.

Flying was one term for the angel method of transportation, but Lucifer liked to compare his mode of travel more to teleportation. With his wings out, he could enter into a side 'dimension,' as it were, and navigate based on where he wanted to go. As the wind caressed on his face, he felt the tingling sensation of home arrive at his fingertips, rather than by sight alone, and he left the dimension to hover high above his penthouse. From here, Lucifer could see how crowded his penthouse looked. He could spot the heads of each of his friends and family and pick them out by their subtle differences. It was obvious they were waiting for his return, some (Amenadiel) rather impatiently.

Everybody except Chloe.

Lucifer frowned, flying in a bit closer. She wasn't in the main room with the rest. He cautiously drifted over to the south side of the building, spotting her almost instantly. There she was, hair sensibly pulled back from her face in a tight low pony. She was leaning against the railing, arms crossed. This part of the balcony was the most private, best accessible through his bedroom. He stared at her, trying to decipher his feelings.

Of course, he had been right. Leaving her had been impossible the first time, but now – now, she was in his sights again. And she was just so _perfect._ If there was one thing he could forgive his father for, it would be for placing her in his path – he would never admit this to anyone. She just made sense to him, as difficult as she could be. He knew that trying to leave again would be very much against his best wishes, even with a moody Michael on the loose.

As not to startle her, Lucifer snuck around and landed behind her. The wind picked up tendrils of her hair for a moment as his feet touched the ground, and he saw her noticeably stiffen. It was quiet for one long moment.

"Is that you?"

Chloe had whispered the words out into the air, still facing away from him. Her voice was wistful, nervous, and full of emotion. Hearing it after all this time caused his heart to stutter.

"Yes," he breathed back. He saw her shoulders relax, and she turned around to face him.

There they were – the eyes he had been dreaming of since he'd left. He had begun to forget how they shared every emotion she had, how they shone. Her eyes now held a mix of emotions that he tried to comprehend. She looked relieved, absolutely; loving, yes; nervous, too; and the one expression that never sat well with her – she was on guard. As she should be.

The small moment where they stared at each other was broken much too quickly for Lucifer's liking.

"Luci!" Amenadiel bellowed, and Lucifer spotted his brother practically charging at him from inside the main room. He took a step back and put his arms up (ouch, forgot about the injured one) in defense.

"Yes, hello, Amenadiel," he replied, eyes searching for Chloe again. But she was walking away, back indoors. Amenadiel grabbed Lucifer's good arm and dragged him back in, which was very humiliating and painful.

"Please, Amenadiel, be careful," he gasped as his feet stumbled behind the other. "My foot!"

Amenadiel let him go once at his destination, crossing his arms and glaring. Lucifer returned the glare with one of his own, rubbing his injured arm and balancing on his good foot.

"You have the audacity to come back after _everything_ we talked about?" he shouted. "What were you thinking, Luci?"

"I…wasn't," he finished lamely, still watching Chloe's back as she leaned on the bar.

"Well, you need to go back."

"I can't."

He said it too quickly, he knew as soon as the words had left his mouth. He felt his face get warm as everybody stared at him.

"Well, he shouldn't, either," piped a voice, and Lucifer turned his attention to Ella Lopez, who was sitting at his piano and staring at him. He couldn't understand her expression.

"Ms. Lopez…" he said slowly. "Are you all right? I am sorry you got dragged into this. I hold Azrael completely responsible."

"Hey now!" Azrael said indignantly. Ella waved her off, however, and stood up with a smile.

"That's ridiculous," she said. "Besides, I'm the genius who figured out how we're going to solve your Hell problem, so give me some credit here!"

She still seemed like the same old Ella. There wasn't any caution in her eyes that he could see. Lucifer beamed at her. She truly was an amazing friend.

"Which brings us back to that," Linda interjected then, waving his attention to her. "Look, Lucifer. You will need to go back, but not necessarily forever. We have a plan."

"A plan," he repeated slowly and suspiciously. "What kind of plan?"

"My plan!" Ella reminded him with a grin.

"They want you to help the souls of Hell forgive themselves," Maze said with little excitement or interest.

"Forgive…I'm sorry, what?" Lucifer asked incredulously. "Forgive… I mean, have you met the demons of Hell lately? Perhaps rather recently? What makes you think they would be on board with this?"

"That's what I said." Maze sighed and stood up from where she was leaning on the back of one of his chairs. "These humans seem to think demons have the ability to…change."

"Well you did, didn't you?" Linda asked with a smile. Maze scoffed, but Lucifer caught her hiding a smile of her own. Linda did have a point.

"And _Michael?_ How does this solve the problem with him?" Michael was certainly the bigger problem here. "I don't see him chumming up to this idea. His idea of paradise is me back in Hell." He pointed down for emphasis. Azrael nodded solemnly.

"Maybe…I can go talk to our father," Amenadiel offered. Lucifer whipped around at him.

"That won't be necessary," he snapped. "I don't need _Dad_ to come to the rescue every time something goes wrong."

"We know, Lucifer," Linda said gently, putting a hand on his good arm. He stepped back and looked over at Chloe again. She had been very, very quiet.

"What do you want?" He asked, not saying her name but very obviously directing his question her way. She didn't react in any way that he could see.

"Can I talk to you?" She asked, still not looking. Her voice betrayed her – she must have been crying. Lucifer, forgetting everybody else there, stepped around them.

"Of course," he replied softly. "Let's go down to the bar."

"Luci, be careful," Amenadiel warned as they got into the elevator. "We don't know where Michael is or what he's doing."

"I can help with that." Lucifer heard wings unfurl at his sister's words. "I'll be back in a bit."

The audible awed gasp from Ella made Lucifer smile ever so slightly. It was nice to have her in the know.

The elevator doors shut, leaving them alone together. Finally.


	15. We Can Do This

The elevator smelled primarily of lemon cleaner. Chloe noted this in the back of her mind as the doors shut, sealing them in. If she smelled enough, she thought she could also pick out the faint scent of blood from the gory scene that had previously inhabited the space. Beneath that, she smelled –

"Detective?"

Lucifer's voice brought a longing to her heart, one that reared its head and reminded her of the last moment they had been together. He was tentative, uncertain. Why?

"Yes?" She asked, staring straight ahead and working on getting her eyes to quit betraying her. Her head was full of turmoil as she tried to piece together what this moment actually was. The professional inside of her reminded her there was a job to do, and now was definitely not the time to begin the waterworks.

"Are you all right?" His voice, warm and gentle, was genuinely curious. Chloe needed to see his face again. She peeked a glance to her left, to see the being she had admitted her love for many weeks ago. He was frowning and staring at her, a kind, innocent expression gracing his features.

"I don't know," she whispered back into the empty space. "I'm trying to focus."

The elevator doors opened into an empty nightclub. Lights were playing off the surfaces, setting an upbeat, sultry mood; but no sound accompanied them. Lux was at its best like this, Chloe thought to herself. She liked when it was empty. It was such a beautiful, historical building when it wasn't full of grinding people.

The pair left the lemon cleaner smell in the elevator, and Chloe beelined for one of the wraparound booths. She sat down, folding her hands in front of her on the table. Lucifer did the same on the opposite side. There were a few more moments of what Chloe gauged as uncomfortable silence. She realized internally this was quite similar to her encounter with Michael earlier, down to the table and the hands.

"How are your injuries?" She asked randomly, trying to think where to begin. How did she bring up the subject that was eating at her?

"Painful, but I've certainly had worse," Lucifer chuckled. He flashed a smile at her, eyes as warm as his voice. He seemed pleased to see her. "Now if only I could get my shoes on."

Chloe looked down at the gauze-wrapped foot, putting two and two together from the bloody footprints that had adorned the penthouse floor when she had first arrived.

"What did you do?" She asked, eyeing the bloody gauze with wide eyes.

"Well, Maze stabbed me here," he pointed to his left arm, "and I dropped an empty bottle of top shelf I had just finished off, you know – liquor is never the same in hell – and then I stepped in the glass."

Chloe couldn't help it – she laughed out loud. That was so like Lucifer to stumble into such a mess. Laughing made her head feel light. He pouted at her.

"It wasn't intentional!" He said indignantly, but she could see inside that he wasn't taking offense to her reaction. Her laughter died down and she returned to her somber mood.

"Why are you here?" she questioned then.

"Well, because you lot summoned me back here," Lucifer replied instantly. "Threatening me with Maze, of all people –"

"No, why are you back…from Hell?"

Lucifer stared at her. He looked confused.

"To make sure you were okay," he said. "Michael and I…well, we have history."

"So I've heard."

"Detective…Chloe, are you okay?"

This was the second time Lucifer had posed the question to her, and this time, Chloe was ready to answer.

"I don't know, Lucifer," she sighed. "I mean, I thought I would never see you again. And then I was writing you all those notes, and even Trixie wrote one, and then when we didn't hear from you, I just assumed…you know, but then you're here, and I don't even –"

"Detective."

Chloe stopped talking, knowing she had been trying to get everything out at once. She looked down, avoiding his gaze.

"Detective, what are you implying?" Lucifer asked gently, confusedly. Involuntarily, Chloe felt her eyes well up with tears.

"I thought you didn't want me," she whispered softly, shrugging through eyes full of tears. Lucifer was too silent. She closed her eyes, mentally trying to pull herself together. She didn't like this part.

Her eyes flew open at the all-too-familiar, annoying scoff that came out of Lucifer's lips next. He was shaking his head with a smirk.

"After all we've been through, Detective, do you really think that little of me? I am a man – well, you know what I mean – of my word. Why would you ever assume otherwise? I never lie."

Chloe wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Lucifer reached out with his hand and caught another, gently rubbing it away, smile softening. She couldn't help but smile back, fears vanishing instantly.

"So what do we do now?" He asked, dropping his hand. A bewildered expression crossed his features. "I honestly don't know about this plan of Ella's…"

"It makes sense, Lucifer," Chloe said. "Think about it – souls have the ability to forgive themselves, and yet they never do. They're not exactly placed in an environment where they're able to forgive themselves. Give them that chance…"

"…and they head upwards," he finished. Chloe beamed at him. It was just another problem to solve, that was all.

"So how do I do it?"

"Let's get back upstairs and hash it out," Chloe said. "Let's join them."

One shorter, less emotional elevator ride later (Chloe was delighted that Lucifer reached out to grab her hand), they had returned to the penthouse. Faces all turned their way and Lucifer cleared his throat awkwardly, dropping her hand. She chuckled to herself and gravitated towards Ella, who gave her an exaggerated wink.

"So…what's the plan?" Lucifer asked cautiously.

"The plan is to start the plan," Linda answered with a simple nod. "You will be safer in Hell, anyway. If you go back there, try out this theory on a soul you think would be easiest to help forgive, you can begin to gauge how difficult this will be to undertake."

"It will be difficult," Chloe heard him mutter under his breath.

"I will help you for awhile," Amenadiel said enthusiastically. "Obviously we don't want to leave earth without an angel keeping an eye on things, but we can start together."

"Maze," Lucifer turned to her. "Would you like to return home and work with the demons?"

Maze scoffed now, a short laugh just escaping her throat.

"I mean, I can give it a try, but no guarantees," she replied. "But…I want to come back."

"Of course," Lucifer said, as if that wasn't even on his mind. "You belong here now."

"What can we do?" Ella piped up. "I mean, I know everything now. I can't just…do nothing."

"You keep an eye out at the precinct," Amenadiel told her. "Michael seems to have a fascination with Lucifer's life here on earth, so he will probably try to approach you all again. If he does, don't aggravate him."

"If he comes back, I won't hesitate to give him a piece of my mind," Chloe interrupted, crossing her arms. She had been watching the conversation with fascination, mentally seeing the plan come together. "Besides, if we can change his mind, then that's one more problem we don't have to deal with."

"Yeah, that's not happening," Amenadiel said at the same time Lucifer interjected, "There's no way in hell that's going to happen." Chloe shrugged.

"It doesn't hurt to try."

"And we really can't…bring God into this?" Linda asked cautiously.

"No," Lucifer answered flatly. The psychologist nodded again.

"So…we start now?" Chloe questioned. "Like, right now?"

"It would be faster if we did," Amenadiel said gently. "It won't be forever, Chloe. We can take breaks."

"Yes, please," Lucifer said tiredly. "Time is so much faster down there, though. How do I keep track? Can I have weekends off or something?"

Amenadiel shrugged.

"We're just trying to keep you safe, Luci," he said. "It's up to you on what you do. But permanent solutions will happen more quickly the more effort you put in."

"I know," Lucifer sighed heavily. Chloe moved over to him, taking his hand again. She didn't care if they judged them or her. She wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.

The group parted shortly after that, until only Lucifer and Chloe remained in the penthouse as a cheerful Ella gave Lucifer a quick hug and nodding understandingly at Chloe before waving until the elevator doors mercifully closed. The penthouse was suddenly enveloped in silence.

Lucifer, recovering from his confused reaction to Ella's hug, limped over to his personal bar, grabbing a couple glasses and a bottle of top shelf. He filled both glasses halfway, capping the bottle and sliding one over the bar top to her. She lifted up the glass gratefully, taking a sip.

"Want me to help with your foot?" she offered then, smiling. Lucifer glanced down to his feet, seeming to have not notice his own pain.

"Yes please," he sighed. "I forgot about it, honestly." He grabbed his drink and hobbled over to one of the chairs, frowning disapprovingly at the large brown stain on the couch. "I'm going to have to replace that. Do you know how much this furniture costs? Maze should be more careful with her knives."

Chloe laughed and rolled her eyes, grabbing the recently used first aid kit from on top of the piano. "At least it wasn't her demon knives."

"Very true," Lucifer agreed. "_Very _true."

Chloe knelt next to him, chuckling again as she began unwrapping the gauze that encased his foot. For what it was worth, she was impressed as she worked – he barely made a sound. She wondered inwardly if he wasn't wanting to alarm her with the pain. She knew this continual pain was not something he suffered with regularly, and for once it wasn't her fault. This gave her a bit of relief, knowing she could be by his side and help instead of having to step away to help him heal.

"So will you go back after you're patched up then?" she asked impassively, doing her best to hide her emotions. This job needed to get done, after all.

"I suppose so," he sighed again. "But not for too long. I don't want to be there too long. It's…draining. I start to forget things."

"How so?" she questioned curiously. "I mean…what is Hell like, anyway? We never really had that conversation."

Lucifer took a long swallow from this whiskey, frowning at the empty glass when he was done.

"It's hot, of course," he said slowly, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Dark. It isn't all hellfire and brimstone, but it certainly is ashy and barren. Hell makes reality glitch, and it's hard to focus on anything that isn't right in front of you. The individual Hells the souls are in are easier to handle." He set his glass down. "When I was down there this last time…it was practically unbearable." He smiled darkly, before composing his emotions. "The Hell rooms were easier to handle."

Chloe carefully bandaged the different cuts, thinking carefully.

"Who did you visit?"

Lucifer chuckled darkly.

"If I'm honest with myself…I visited Father Kinley's Hell the most."

"What?" Chloe was shocked. "Father Kinley? Why?"

"I don't know, I…" he looked over at the balcony. "I suppose I wanted to torment him myself after all the harm he caused. After all, if he hadn't interfered in the first place, none of this would have happened."

"Definitely," she agreed. "If he hadn't done his best to convince me of something impossible – you not being who you really are – then none of this would have happened. I can understand why you did that."

Lucifer hummed, cutting off with a light hiss as she bandaged him up. His foot was pretty bad, that was for sure. The cuts were plenty and some were deep enough to potentially need stitches. She did her best with what she had, though.

Wrapping the foot in a thin layer of fresh gauze and placing a piece of tape with a sense of finality, Chloe cleared her throat and stood up. It was time. She set the first aid kit on the piano again while Lucifer cautiously stood. He tested putting a bit of weight on his foot before carefully setting it down.

"Much better," he said gratefully. "Thank you, Chloe. You are indispensable, as always."

She felt warmed by his praise and moved closer to him. They were right in front of each other now. She could reach out and touch him if she wanted to.

"I'm glad you came back, Lucifer," she whispered. "Seeing you again… I just missed you so much."

Lucifer did reach out then, carefully tucking a piece of hair behind her shoulder as he gazed at her face. She stared back, feeling her heart pound. She had never felt this way about anybody, even Dan. With Lucifer, everything felt so much more real. She felt so alive.

And then he leaned forward and she welcomed the warm kiss that he planted on her lips, light but conveying everything he felt. And Chloe realized in that moment that it had been silly to assume he could ever forget about her. She kissed back, heart thundering in her ears and her fingers warming as she reached up and ran them through his hair, tousling it. They broke apart and she laughed, breathing heavily as she admired the curls she had freed from his usual slick-back hairstyle.

"What?" He asked, frowning and feeling his head. "Did you mess up my hair?"

"Yes." She giggled, placing a hand on his heart. She kissed him one more time, keeping her eyes open and smiling at him.

"We can do this," she said.

"We can do this," he echoed in agreement, voice full of wonder.

They could do this.


	16. I Know Who Killed Me

Forgiveness was, in fact, not as easy as Lucifer had originally thought it to be. He figured this out pretty quickly, his frustration mounting as he did everything he could to achieve the goal of forgiveness with his first soul, a feat he had thought would be relatively easy. Father Kinley was proving to be everything but.

"Can't you just, I don't know…say a prayer to-to _God _and feel better?" He sighed in frustration, tossing his arms up as the next person in Kinley's Hell loop approached him and began shouting.

"That isn't how heavenly forgiveness works," Kinley called back over the din, his voice straining from his attempt to stay rooted in reality. "And besides, all of these people are people I neglected. How can I forgive myself for this? How can I move on from my sins?"

Lucifer groaned and threw himself into a pew, putting a hand to his forehead. Why couldn't he accomplish this one simple task? He knew it was going to be difficult, but he hadn't grasped what the concept of "difficult" would mean with the constant drum of Hell knocking in his brain. Damn, he hated it down here.

The noise was becoming unbearable, so he snapped his fingers. Instantly, the crowd disappeared.

"Thank you," Kinley said after a moment of composing himself. He stood up and maneuvered to the pew in front of Lucifer, settling in with a heavy sigh. "It isn't so easy to forgive oneself. Especially when I didn't realize how poor and selfish my choices were until I ended up rejected by heaven. I swore myself to the church to do good deeds, and I did as far from good as I could find. That isn't something I can just brush away."

All this talk of forgiveness was reminding Lucifer of Linda's words in the hospital, back when Charlie had just been born. _Forgiveness isn't so easy, after all, _he mused to himself. Perhaps he hadn't cracked that code.

"What can I do to help?" Lucifer offered, voice short and annoyed. He wanted to get this started so he could get back to earth and Chloe. He wanted his weekend off. Had it been a week already?

Kinley was quiet for a few moments until Lucifer interjected again.

"Well come on now, you're the first in billions of souls I need to work with. What can I do to get you up to where you want to be?"

"Contemplating one's self worth takes time," Kinley replied. "I don't know where to begin."

Lucifer groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, let's start with your constituents then," he said, snapping his finger. A single soul appeared in front of them. "How would you help her?"

The woman was older, hunched in the back, and had the most sorrowful eyes Lucifer had ever seen. She was clutching a small purse, which matched her faded blue dress. She stared silently at them. Kinley's eyes widened.

"This is Mrs. Lorraine Warsaw," he said. "I recognize her from my early days at this church."

"Come on, father, how would you help her?"

"She lost her daughter," Kinley murmured. "In an accident. She came to me for confession and confessed she had been angry with God."

"As she should be, but that's beside the point," Lucifer interjected, before pressing, "What would you do?"

"I would tell her it isn't her fault. It's okay to be angry with God," the father replied slowly. "But to recognize where her faults are and to take steps to remedy them."

The woman smiled, the first smile Lucifer had seen in any of the endless barrage of torture the priest had encountered in his time here. She vanished of her own accord. Lucifer exclaimed delightedly, standing up to celebrate.

"You taught her to forgive herself!" he cheered. "Now you know what to do!"

"It can't be that easy," Kinley muttered nervously, eyes darting around. "There are so many people I harmed. How do I forgive myself for all of it?"

Back to square one. Lucifer rolled his eyes again and snapped the next person forward. A young boy, maybe twelve years old, stood before them. He was holding a stuffed elephant, ripped head in one hand and body in the other. He was crying.

"Oh, for goodness sake," Lucifer yelped, snapping his fingers again. "Is the child really necessary?"

"That was William," Kinley said, seemingly not hearing him. "Right before I left for Rome on my crusade, he came to me. He had ripped his younger sister's toy. I had never seen such sorrow in a child's eyes. I knew his father wasn't a nice man, but I didn't know how to help him. I was so focused on where I was going, I shoved him away."

Lucifer sighed loudly, wincing to himself as he brought the child back.

"All right then," he said impatiently. "How do you help him?"

Kinley had stood up, took the few steps forward, and knelt in front of the boy. It was as if Lucifer was no longer there.

"I'm sorry, William," he said. "I should have listened to you. And you should apologize to your sister. Perhaps with some sewing, this animal could be good as new."

William looked down at the toy in his hands, and Lucifer watched as he put the pieces together and it seemed to mend himself. The boy's tears dried up and he beamed up at Kinley. Then he, too, vanished. Kinley stood up, wiping his eyes a bit. He seemed a bit more at ease after this one.

"Didn't you say something about recognizing your faults and taking steps to fix them?" Lucifer asked. "Perhaps, father, that is the advice you also need to take. And perhaps you need to do that by seeing these people one at a time and making those amends."

Kinley looked at him, a new expression gracing his features. Hope?

"Do you think this will work?" he asked, that hope dripping into his voice.

"It better," Lucifer said exasperatedly, "or I'm never getting out of here."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door to the Hell. Kinley and Lucifer looked at each other, surprised. Nobody down here knocked. Maze wouldn't anyway.

"Keep working, father, I'll see what's going on," he said distractedly, snapping his fingers again for the next person Kinley would work with. He hurried to the door, opening it. Standing on the other side was a demon, nervously twisting his fingers with equally anxious eyes.

"Yes, Doyle?" he snapped, searching behind him to see if others were with him. The demon Doyle was alone.

"Sorry to interrupt, my king," Doyle stammered. "A new soul just arrived, and he…claims to know you. From above."

"So?" Lucifer demanded. "Why would I care?"

"My lord, he says he's a friend. And he said he knew your girl. Chloe."

Lucifer's eyes snapped back to the pitiful demon.

"Take me to him. Now," he barked. Somebody was in Hell who should be back on earth.

The door behind which Detective Daniel Espinoza ended up was closer to his towering throne. The streets of LA came into focus, behind which stood the precinct. In front of it, Chloe's ex-husband paced.

"Daniel?" Lucifer asked, utterly confused. "What are you doing here?"

The detective's head jumped up, and his eyes widened.

"So it's true," he said accusingly. "You _are _the devil. The _real_ devil."

"Yes, yes, I never lied about that," Lucifer said dismissively, waving his hand. "How did you get here, Daniel?"

Dan threw his hands up, stopping his pacing and moving towards him instead.

"I died, didn't I?" he shouted. "I died, what the actual f – "

"Yes, but _how_?" Lucifer asked impatiently. "Did my brother have something to do with it?"

"No, uh – yes? I don't know!" he said, obviously frustrated. "Look, Lucifer, can you get me out of here or no?"

Lucifer stared at him.

"That's just the thing," he said slowly. "I'm trying to figure that out."

"What do you mean, 'trying'? Aren't you the damn king of Hell? Can't you just wave your hand and make it so?"

"Hell doesn't work like a magic show, Detective _Douche_," Lucifer enunciated sourly. "I may be in charge, but not everything works for me." He sighed again. Sighing was becoming his new habit. "Look. Let's watch your Hell play out, see what guilty thing dragged you down here. And then I can pop back up, speak with the detective, and see if we can send you on your way."

"On my way? You can't just bring me back to Earth?" Dan asked, his voice low. He was mad.

"I could, but you're dead, Daniel. I can't just make you alive again," Lucifer snapped. He was getting tired of the man already. "You'd be a spirit inhabiting another's body."

"Why not my own body?" Dan asked. "Can't you just drop me back in there?"

"Well theoretically, yes, but last time I did that, Pierce's brother ended up in the body of a woman instead."

Dan was silent for a few moments.

"Oh man, he really was Cain, wasn't he?" he said then, and Lucifer watched his expression as he put the dots together. "Wait, Abel was down here? Wasn't he the good son?"

"Story for another day, Daniel," Lucifer reminded, gesturing to the scene around him. "Can we see why you're here already?"

"I already know," Dan said quietly. He pointed and Lucifer looked over at a startlingly familiar face. Charlotte Richards was walking towards them with coffee. Lucifer looked back at Dan, who was holding a small, thin box.

"Hang on, wasn't that that ridiculous piece of jewelry?" he asked.

"Yup," Daniel replied. "The waffle one."

"Good morning," Charlotte greeted him then, handing him one of the cups. The detective accepted it.

"Good – Good morning, Charlotte," Dan managed to choke out. Charlotte smiled. Lucifer was caught remembering his mother for a moment.

"What's that?" she asked curiously. Dan and Lucifer both joined her gaze on the box.

"It's for you," he said, handing it to her. "I wanted to get you something nice."

Charlotte opened the box and the glinting of gold caught Lucifer's eye in the LA sun. How he missed that sun.

"Dan, it's beautiful," she breathed. Her eyes sparkled and she laughed.

The scene changed around them.

"What's happening?" Dan asked, his voice genuinely frightened for the first time that Lucifer had ever heard. Before he could respond, the scene changed. He knew exactly when it was. Dan did, too. He dropped his arms, eyes clouding over as he left Lucifer and dashed over to the lifeless body on the ground. This was not something he personally wanted to relive, but he caught a glimpse of himself and Chloe from the original memory. His eyes lingered on the detective, remembering this scene. This was when she hadn't known about him yet. She was about to find out, though.

"Daniel," Lucifer called out, voice more gentle than usual. "Daniel, it isn't real."

"I know," Dan replied through gritted teeth. "I don't want to be here."

"Come on then," Lucifer coaxed, holding out his hand. Dan turned from the body with what looked like great difficulty, eyes blazing as they met Lucifer's.

"I know who killed me," he said flatly.

Lucifer sighed for the umpteenth time that day. Another wrench in his plans.


	17. I'm Not a Vampire

Another case had sprung up at work. Chloe was relieved for the distraction as the days began to tick by from the last time she had seen Lucifer. Despite their resolution, their togetherness, she couldn't help but feel a tightness in her chest every time she thought about him. She found her fingers absently typing out his name in the contact line of her text messages, only to remember there wasn't exactly cell service in Hell. Returning home to Trixie, who had been full of questions since hearing of Lucifer's return, made her feel less alone, but it remained the reminder that he was on a different plane of the universe entirely.

Therefore, when Friday finally rolled around, Chloe breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into her empty home, her daughter spending the weekend at Dan's. It gave her time to clean, which was a thinly veiled lie to cover up her real agenda: sitting and waiting for Lucifer to return, as his hoped "weekends off" would prove attainable. Setting the kettle on to boil some water for tea, Chloe kicked her shoes off and shrugged off her denim jacket. It was time to go into complete relaxation mode.

While standing in the shower, letting steaming drops of water fall onto her hair and shoulders, she thought. The case this week had been particularly tough. Media had hounded the precinct all week, looking into the details of the murder of the deceased star quarterback of a local high school, Devante Gunn. The deceased had been found in the high school locker room, face up, eyes glassed over with one sharp stab wound into his chest. The knife had been removed (albeit crudely, Ella had noted with excited eyes – this meant particulates were more likely to be found in the wound, hopefully leading to the murder weapon), and the body had been cold for almost a day before it was discovered by a janitor. The night before the murder, Devante Gunn had thrown an impressive four interceptions in a particularly poor football game. Chloe didn't know much about football, but she knew enough to gather this may have made a few excited fans outraged.

She sighed and grabbed her shampoo bottle. The media certainly had not been much help in this case. It seemed the entire state of California was itching to catch the first scoop. Press conferences by the lieutenant had been necessary, and had even graduated to being given by the police captain along with the school superintendent. It meant Dan and Chloe's jobs had been even more difficult, and more security presence was necessary at the crime scene.

The coconut vanilla shampoo left a pleasant smell in her nose, but didn't distract her from her internal cataloging. Today had been the most difficult. Dan had thought he was onto a suspect – the offensive coach of the high school football team. The problem was, although his motive was sound, his alibi seemed too good to fit the bill. Still, Dan had showed her the log of text messages that were sent between the two – conversations had been heated, with Devante seeming to want to quit the team due to hazing issues, and the offensive coach, Kyle Williams, making no less than three threats towards Devante's career beyond high school. Supposedly there had been college scouts watching the game a week prior. Chloe's heart went for the poor quarterback, feeling his stress levels before his untimely demise.

As she was stepping out of the shower and tossing her hair up into a towel, Chloe heard her phone ring from her bedroom. She sighed and left the warmth of the bathroom, bath fan working overtime to disperse the humidity, for the cool, air-conditioned rest of the house. The air out here was just a bit too chilly on her skin, but she ignored this as she picked it up and read the caller. _Dan._

"Hey Dan, is everything all right?" she asked after pushing the green 'talk' button. But the voice on the other end wasn't Dan's at all.

"Mommy?" came a whispered, crying Trixie.

"Trixie?" Chloe's heart sank. "What's going on, baby? Are you okay?"

There were soft sniffles coming from the other side.

"Mommy, there's a bad man," Trixie whimpered. "Daddy told me to hide. I think they were fighting. I don't know what's going on."

"Trixie, monkey? Where are you right now? Are you being very quiet?" Chloe's heart was pounding. Something was very wrong. She grabbed clothes absently, tucking her phone under her chin and shoulder as she dressed as quickly as she could.

"Yes," her daughter answered softly. "I haven't heard any noises for a couple minutes. Mommy, is daddy okay?"

"I don't know, monkey," she said honestly, grabbing her keys off her night stand. "I'm only a couple minutes away, okay? I want you to stay there until I get there. Be very quiet. You can stay on the phone with me, okay?"

"Okay," Trixie whispered. Chloe could hear the fear in her daughter's voice. All she could think about was what had happened to Dan. Was he okay? Was he chasing the intruder? Stuffing her feet into the nearest pair of shoes she could find, she hurried out the door and to her car.

"Mommy? I hear noises," Trixie's voice pitched up in fright.

"It's okay, baby. You need to be very quiet, okay? I'm almost there," Chloe said desperately, starting her car. "I'm almost there. I just need to make a radio call very quick."

She reached over to her CB and switched it on.

"This is Detective Decker, I am performing a 10-50 on Detective Espinoza at his address. I am requesting backup for a potential 10-00. There is a civilian hiding inside the home."

Crackling came over the radio.

"What's your 20, Detective Decker?" The dispatcher replied.

"2 minutes out," she rushed back. "It sounds like a potential break-in, and a fight ensued. The civilian – my daughter –" her voice broke "She has been advised to remain in her hiding location at this time. I will be entering the premises upon arrival."

"Be advised to wait for backup for safety purposes," the dispatcher warned, but Chloe was already switching her CB off. She didn't have time to wait for backup. She picked her phone back up quickly.

"Trixie, are you still there, baby?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes mommy," Trixie whispered back. "I think I hear daddy's voice."

"Oh thank God," Chloe breathed. "Stay there just in case though, okay?"

Before Trixie could reply, Chloe, too, heard Dan's voice – frantic and hoarse.

"Trixie? Monkey, are you here?" he shouted from the other end of the phone. Chloe took a right. Still a block out. At least there was no other traffic.

"You can't just show up to her like –"

What sounded very suspiciously like Lucifer's voice was cut off as Chloe heard a door open, a beat of silence, and a scream. Trixie's scream.

"Trixie?" Chloe asked frantically, speeding up even more. "Monkey? Are you there? Are you okay?"

Trixie didn't answer as a loud _THUD_ came from the other line. Voices were still talking. She tried to catch everything being said.

"I warned you," the other voice – definitely Lucifer – said as Dan cut over him.

"Trixie, I'm sorry, monkey. It's okay. See? I'm okay. Just got some…ketchup on me. But it's me!"

"That's not ketchup," Trixie wailed. "Daddy, you're hurt."

Dan was hurt. That wasn't good news. She finally pulled a sharp left and whipped into the driveway of Dan's house. With the car still running, she left her phone on the seat and the door open as she bolted out and sprinted up the steps to the open front door. Hand on her Glock, Chloe entered and whipped the firearm around the main floor. She saw a large pool of blood on the floor, and sitting next to it was a bloody kitchen knife. Blood splatters led a trail over to the stairs and up them. She dashed over and aimed her gun at the top of the stairs. Standing there was Lucifer, who wasn't aware she was behind him. Dan was next to him, kneeling down. Chloe barely registered the drying blood caked on the back of his shirt as she darted up the stairs.

"What the hell is going on?" she yelled, finally coming to a rest at the top of the stairs. Lucifer and Dan looked back at her, surprised at her arrival. Trixie was in front of them in the closet, sitting on the floor with her knees pressed to her chest. She looked absolutely overwhelmed.

Maternal instinct kicking in, Chloe passed the two men and gathered her daughter into a hug.

"You're okay," she murmured. "You're okay, monkey." Not letting go, she stroked her daughter's hair and turned her head back to the other two. "What the hell is going on?" she repeated. "Lucifer, what the hell are you doing here?"

She assessed the pair, eyeing Lucifer first. He looked a bit frazzled, but otherwise pretty much exactly like the last time she saw him. He had a sheepish expression on his face. Dan, on the other hand…

"Daddy's hurt," Trixie whispered in her mom's ear. Chloe's heart sank for the second time today as her mind began to fill in the blanks. That pool of blood in the bedroom…the dark, large stain on Dan's gray t-shirt…Lucifer…

"Oh, no," she whispered back. "No, Dan. Did he – did you…?"

"Die," Lucifer finished lowly. "Yes, he did."

"To Hell?" Chloe squeaked. Dan nodded.

"I had to practically wrestle Lucifer to bring me back," he said. "He says this isn't permanent, but at least for now, I can tell you what I know."

Chloe let go of Trixie, who still had tear-stricken eyes as she stared solemnly at her dad. Dan smiled sadly back at her.

"Hey monkey," he said. "I'm here for now. That's what matters."

Chloe remembered the backup she had called in then.

"I need to go grab my phone and cancel the backup," she said.

"Why?" Lucifer finally spoke up. "Daniel is still dead. We'll need to solve the murder."

"I know who killed me," Dan said. "It was Coach Williams – I told you he was guilty."

Chloe shook her head, gesturing subtly to Trixie.

"You know, child, I've been told I make a great grilled cheese," Lucifer stepped forward, catching Trixie's eye. She sniffled again. "Why don't you come downstairs with me and we can get you some food."

"Can I ask you questions?" Trixie asked softly.

"Well yes, of course – I did receive your note, after all," the devil replied with a signature smile. Trixie started down the stairs with one last sad look at her parents. Lucifer nodded at them both, face all business, as he followed.

"You should put a jacket on to hide your wound," Chloe mentioned as she began to descend as well. "It may help from upsetting her."

Dan nodded and retreated to his bedroom.

Outside, Chloe radioed in the cancellation of backup. It had only been three minutes that all of this had passed, so there wasn't a concern for cops to begin showing up just yet. She shut off the car, which sounded happy to have a rest from the abuse she had just given it to get here in a timely fashion. Grabbing her cell phone, Chloe finally sent a text to Ella. If anybody was going to get a head start on the case, it would be her.

Back inside, Chloe snuck past the kitchen where Lucifer was answering questions, as it seemed, to the best of his ability.

"Not _fangs,_ I'm not a vampire," he was complaining. The smell of cooking butter and melting cheese made her stomach growl. She did have to admit, Lucifer did indeed make a great grilled cheese. Sneaking back upstairs, she met Dan in his bedroom. Her ex-husband was sitting on the end of his bed, staring at the black denim jacket he had grabbed from his closet.

The room was a bit of a mess. Chloe wasn't surprised, though – he didn't have the best tendency to clean when he lived alone. When they had moved in together, it had taken quite some time for him to pick up on the fact that she preferred a bit more organization.

Chloe sat next to him, putting an arm on his shoulder.

"Hey," she said gently. Sitting here, touching his shoulder, almost made it seem as if everything was all right. But the skin under the t-shirt felt cooler than it should, normally. She supposed he wouldn't radiate heat much if his body wasn't working anymore.

"How long did you know about Lucifer?" Dan asked. His voice was still hoarse, but now it was soft and guarded. Final.

"Since right before Europe," she admitted. "I went to Rome for research. I didn't know what to think at first."

"Rome," he repeated, realization dawning in his voice and on his face. "That makes sense."

"Mmhm."

"Who else knows?"

"Ella found out last week, although it was more of a stumble. Linda has apparently known for awhile. Amenadiel of course is Lucifer's brother. He's known forever."

"Amenadiel," Dan said, eyes lighting up. "He's an angel!"

"Yup," Chloe answered. "And Lucifer has been the black sheep of his family for a long time."

"Wait, that means that he wasn't lying about Michael? _Michael! _Holy shit."

Chloe laughed a bit, despite the somber situation. She had had the same reaction when she made the connection.

"That means that God exists, too, then?" Dan asked.

"As much as I can tell. Although Lucifer doesn't have a lot of kind words to say about him," she pointed out.

"Makes sense." He shrugged.

"Dan." She dropped her hand and faced him head on. "Why did you go to Hell?"

Dan didn't answer, and Chloe watched as a series of conflicted expressions crossed his faced. He finally settled on, "I don't know. I guess I feel like it's partially my fault for…Charlotte's death," he admitted slowly. "And causing all that issue with you and Palmetto."

"Dan, that's ridiculous," Chloe admonished. "You didn't cause either of those. Those were horrible circumstances that happened to you. The choices you made were yours, yes, but you made them to the best of your knowledge. You have a good heart. You shouldn't be in Hell."

Dan swallowed.

"Can we go downstairs?" he requested then. "I want to spend more time with Trixie before…before I go."

"Of course," she said instantly, standing up. "Don't forget to put that on."

Dan glanced at the jacket in his hand, seemingly having forgotten about it. He shrugged it on and followed Chloe out of the bedroom.

Halfway down the stairs, Chloe paused, holding her hand up for Dan to do the same. She listened intently as the words of the conversation below floated up to them.

"There are no children in Hell," Lucifer said shortly.

"Why not?" Trixie asked. She sounded much calmer now, and her mouth was full of food.

"Another rule of my dad's, I suppose," he replied wearily.

"Your dad – like God?"

"The very same."

It was silent for a moment, except for the sound of another grilled cheese sizzling on the fryer.

"If you and my mommy get married, does that mean God is my grandpa?"

Chloe choked on air, spluttering and coughing a bit to try and catch her breath. The conversation below quieted, and she started quickly down the stairs again, composing herself. Dan behind her let out a chuckle.

The looks on Trixie and Lucifer's faces were straight out of a comedy. Trixie, hands full of buttery, cheesy goodness, was beaming at them. Lucifer looked like a cat caught doing an act it knew it wasn't supposed to. He busied himself with the spatula, flipping the remaining sandwich on the pan.

"How are you doing, monkey?" Dan asked cautiously, stepping out from behind her. Trixie didn't look the least bit fazed.

"Great!" she replied. "Lucifer is telling me all about Hell. It's pretty complicated."

"Well, try living it," Lucifer retorted back, but his face held no malcontent. He flipped the grilled cheese sandwich onto a waiting plate and used the spatula to slice it diagonally. He slid the plate across the counter at her.

"Well, we're glad you're feeling better," Chloe said cautiously as she picked up the food. It smelled heavenly.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Trixie asked, smiling right before she took another large bite of grilled cheese. Chloe looked back at Dan, who looked confused.

"Don't you remember what happened?" he asked gently.

"Of course, silly," she said in between mouthfuls. "But Lucifer is going to take you to Heaven, so it's all good."

They both whipped their heads around to face Lucifer, who looked just as shocked.

"I said nothing of the sort!" he said quickly, defensively putting his hands up. "I mean, I'm trying to get all the souls in Hell up to the Silver City, but I'm not physically taking them there myself."

Trixie just shrugged and kept on eating.

Chloe's phone buzzed in her pocket. She grabbed it and read the text message, still perplexed by Trixie's behavior.

_Strange person outside the window,_ Ella had sent. She put two and two together. Dan sat next to Trixie, striking up a short conversation. Chloe did quick gestures to Lucifer to meet in the stairwell, out of sight of windows. He took notice and followed her.

"Somebody is outside listening," she said as soon as the coast seemed clear. "I'm going to go investigate. You keep an eye on Trixie."

"Detective, I'm the devil, remember? Perhaps I should be the one to go out."

Chloe glared at him, but realized he was probably right. Despite his vulnerability, he had a few more tricks up his sleeve. Still, she handed him her gun. He looked surprised, even awed.

"Detective," he said. "Are you sure?"

"Just be careful," she snapped, although she planted a quick kiss on his cheek before she returned downstairs, Lucifer following with his long-dreamed-of weapon in hand.

They rounded the corner of the kitchen just as Dan was standing up. Trixie kept on eating, ignoring the scene around them.

It was Michael.


	18. Good Dog

**Hey everybody! Super early posting this week, because tomorrow I'm headed to Washington DC for the weekend. I'm excited to go, it's my first time visiting there. Enjoy this chapter, it certainly starts with a...bang. ;)**

* * *

Lucifer didn't think twice. He brought the gun up and fired two shots straight at his brother. The force of the kick surprised him but he kept the barrel trained on Michael as he watched, a tightness suffocating his chest, Michael remain completely unharmed.

Seeing Michael after all this time, after the eons of separation with that one last fateful encounter being the forefront of his mind, made Lucifer feel way too many emotions at once. Shooting had been his reflex, with the nerves pounding in his stomach accompanying the loud bangs.

The audible gasp from Chloe shook him from his trance-like state. He brought the weapon down and flicked the safety on with his wrist, eyes not leaving his impassive brother's face.

"Justified," he said shortly in the detective's direction. Out of his peripherals he saw her step forward. She pulled the gun from his hands – barely a minute in the ring of finally being trusted to use a weapon and it was already gone – and trained it on Michael as he had just done. That was good. Better than good. It made the detective feel more confident, he knew, despite the lack of it working.

"Dan, get Trixie out of here," she said calmly. Lucifer broke the hard staring contest with his brother to watch Dan get the child to safety. This was for the best, of course. He didn't care where they went, as long as it was miles away from here.

"Detective," he began, but was interrupted but the oh-so-familiar, gut-wrenching voice of Michael.

"I knew you would be back," the other said, voice expressionless as he continued to stand in front of the kitchen door. "With the proper motivation."

"What the hell does that mean?" Lucifer snapped, feeling his eyes flash red. Michael shrugged, looking disinterested with the conversation already.

"I simply mean that it takes a level of…_persuasion_ to obtain a reaction from you, brother," he answered. "Push the right buttons, and here you are, like a good _dog._"

Lucifer growled, starting towards Michael. This was ending _now_ and it would end in _his_ favor.

"Lucifer, wait," Chloe cautioned from next to him. "He's just provoking you."

"Well it's working," he snarled. "This time I'll win."

"Stop," she said again, bringing him to a halt – temporarily.

Michael was watching her again, aloof interest passing his features.

"Smart human you've imprinted on, Samael." Michael smirked.

"It's Lucifer now, actually," Lucifer snarled. He set his jaw. The anger that had flashed up at the sight of Michael was barely containable, and in the back of his mind he cautioned himself against losing himself in Chloe's presence. She may be okay with his role back in Hell, but he didn't want to tempt fate and lose complete control.

Michael shrugged again.

"Samael is the name our father gave you, and it is the only name I will associate with you," he said. "Which I don't associate with you much anymore, since you fell."

"It was more of a _push_, if I remember correctly," Lucifer retorted. "Now get the hell out of his home. You have no right to be here."

"Neither do you," Michael pointed out with hard eyes. "You have no right to be on earth altogether. You were given a job and you need to remain there for the rest of eternity. It's your punishment, Samael."

"I'll show you punishment!" Lucifer roared, jumping forward again.

"_Lucifer, stop._"

He hated how he slowed instantly, but knew Chloe was right. Pummeling on his least favorite brother was not ideal in these cramped circumstances. This made Michael's smirk more pronounced.

"She has you on a leash," he chuckled. "This is pathetic. Imagine what the rest of the angels will think of this."

"They don't think much of you, brother," Lucifer said. "Out of the two of us, I was always preferred. This struck a nerve and Michael's eyes flashed dark and his smirk disappeared.

"You lost the privilege of calling me brother when you betrayed the Silver City," he sneered. "Now what is it going to take to get you back where you belong?"

"You have it all wrong, Michael," Chloe chimed in. Lucifer shot one more glare at Michael before turning his head to look at her. She had watched for a few minutes, only supplying the occasional reminder not to break out into a full-blown brawl in Dan's – dead Dan's – house. Her jaw was set and her eyes were hard, gun still trained on Michael. Seeing her like this brought a sense of pride through him – this strong human with her never-back-down attitude had chosen him. She was standing next to _him_ throughout all of this. He had to be the luckiest being in existence.

"Was Hell really a punishment? Or was it a lesson to learn?" she asked then, continuing her train of thought. "Did God really cast Lucifer from Heaven just to torture guilty souls for all eternity? Or did he put a guilty angel in charge of teaching others to forgive their guilt?"

Michael looked a little taken aback at a human speaking to him in such a way, but he quickly composed himself, as he always did. _The bloody wanker._

"You guess at the meanings behind my father's decisions?" he shot, "you, a human who has barely been alive for thirty-five years, thinks you know what our God meant when he cast down his son?" He took a step forward, prompting Lucifer to quickly sidestep in front of her.

"Lucifer, move," Chloe said. "I'm not done."

"Yes, Samael, move," Michael said dangerously, crazed smile appearing on his face. "Perhaps bringing this one straight to Hell will keep you there for the rest of eternity. The other human wasn't enough for you."

"Other hu…" Lucifer trailed off, putting two and two together. Chloe must have, too, because that seemed to be the last straw for her. She shoved around him before he knew what she was doing, weapon firing round after round.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" she yelled, composure lost. Michael didn't look threatened but he did look slightly surprised.

"I will come for you, Detective Chloe Decker," Michael promised with a glint in his eyes. "I will come for you and I will ensure my former brother's return to Hell is permanent this time."

Lucifer snarled and started after him too, but Michael took the last step out the back door, pushed out his wings – gray, impressive things with sharp, thorn-like feathers – and was gone in the blink of an eye.

Lucifer was breathing heavily, he realized then. His brow was covered in sweat, and his eyes were leaking tears that he didn't realize he was crying. The emotional toil of seeing Michael, in all his glory, had been traumatic. The memories that had kept trying to resurface with the result of him shoving them deep down now came flooding open, lingering on each little detail that seemed perfectly designed to inflict even more pain on him.

Chloe brought down her weapon and holstered it. Lucifer could see her hands shaking. She had just been threatened by an angel from the Silver City, and a pretty powerful one at that. Despite all of his emotions that had been brought to the surface, his heart ached for her. He crossed the few steps between them in a few precious seconds and pulled her into an embrace.

"He killed Dan…" she whispered through her own shock and horror.

"Somehow he used his charm to get to the coach, but yes," Lucifer agreed gently. "It would appear so."

"What are we going to do?" she asked, voice wavering in uncertainty.

"I don't know, Chloe." He stroked her hair and let himself calm down internally, which was more difficult than what he had hoped it would be.

"Is it over?" Dan asked, voice cautiously coming from the top the stairs. He hadn't ran miles after all, like Lucifer had hoped. He had cowered upstairs in a very obvious move that Michael would have seen in a heartbeat.

"Yes," Chloe called back up, voice breaking. She coughed a bit, embracing Lucifer back. Her arms were shaking but comforting, fingers rubbing his back through his suit coat. He took a shuddering breath of his own, organizing his thoughts.

"First things first," he said. "Dan, I need you back in Hell for now. I will escort you there myself and make sure Maze stays with you. Chloe, you and Trixie need to get some place safe. I'll call Amenadiel and Azrael and have them help you. It's best if I don't know where you are."

"Why not?" Trixie piped up, still cheerful from her exposure to Michael's charm.

"It's like a scavenger hunt, monkey," Dan quickly answered before Lucifer could reply. He shut his mouth, glaring at the other. "But we don't want Michael to find you. He's not a good guy. Does that make sense?"

"Okay," Trixie shrugged, grinning. "Can I have some cake?"

"Of course, Trixie, help yourself," Chloe said, wiping her eyes and disengaging herself from Lucifer. The absence of her body against his was immediately noticeable. He felt lonely. This was going to be tough for him.

"So what's the plan?" Dan asked. Lucifer felt this was very repetitive of the last time he was up here. He was getting tired of making plans.

"Yeah, what's the plan?" Ella chimed in, walking into the kitchen and surprising them all – Lucifer hadn't even heard the front door open or close. "And what's going on? We have a pretty noticeable bloodstain on the floor in the living room."

Dan cleared his throat awkwardly. Lucifer jumped to answer, quickly composing himself as well.

"Well, Detective Espinoza here got himself into a spot of trouble," he said lightheartedly. "I brought him back to get his affairs in order, but he's…" he trailed off, at a loss as to how to put the next word as nice as possible.

"Dead," Dan finished calmly. "I died."

Ella's face turned shocked, crestfallen, and finally confused.

"How can you be dead? You're right there," she pointed at him. "You don't look dead to me."

"He is," Chloe said. "Lucifer brought him back from Hell, which is not where he should have been in the first place." Lucifer watched with mild interest as she glared at him.

"Michael was just here, that's whom you saw," Chloe said to Ella then. "He instigated the entire thing. He…wants to kill me next."

"Well, not necessarily _kill,_" Lucifer emphasized. "He wants to drag your soul to Hell, which would indeed kill you, but Michael himself wouldn't kill you, Hell would; he doesn't like getting his hands messy."

"_Kill her_?" Ella shrieked. "Well that's unacceptable! What do we do? Can we fight him? Is there jail in Heaven? Can we contain him or something?"

"Not really," Lucifer sighed. "Hence involving my brother. If anybody can keep you safe from that absolute prick, it's Amenadiel."

"What about me? I really don't want to relive that…you know, again," Dan said lamely, putting a hand behind his neck. Lucifer could tell he was uncomfortable and petrified to return. He could sympathize.

"You won't have to, I can sort of 'turn off' your Hell for the time being. Maze will stay with you. Since it is your personal Hell, you two can just wander around fake LA and pass the time. Time definitely goes slower down there, but it's the safest place for you."

"Maze will be with me?" Dan's eyes lit up, seeming a bit more hopeful. Lucifer nodded. "All right then. I can do that."

"Hold on just one moment then." Lucifer turned his back on them and put his hands together, ignoring the fact that they hadn't come up with a solution to stop Michael yet. He was feeling wary about that even being a semblance of a possibility. Perhaps involving a step higher up was a good idea… He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Definitely not time. It would never be time to involve his dear old dad. Instead, closed his eyes and focused.

_Time to call the troops._


	19. Douchier

"I just can't believe you came all the way out here, to Atlantic Beach, to spend time with me!" Penelope Decker's peal of delightful laughter came over the introduction of two mojitos and a Shirley Temple from the well-dressed waiter serving them. "We really need to spend more quality time together, dear."

"Yes, thank you for welcoming us, mom," Chloe said, trying to smile as happily as she could. Her nerves were dancing inside, and her thoughts continue to stray to the other side of the country and the situation – threatening situation – that awaited her should she return.

"And Beatrice, darling, you have to come visit me on set! This movie is set in the 1940's, and everything is post-war glamorous."

Her mom was positively gushing over the seemingly random fact that Chloe and Trixie had appeared mere hours earlier. It hadn't been by plane, as Chloe had insinuated; Amenadiel and Azrael had given them first-class treatment to angel flight – which hadn't been nearly as terrifying as she had thought it would be. In fact, there hadn't been any scary heights at all. Trixie, fresh off the charm from Michael, had been calm but quiet. In fact, she still seemed quiet even now. Chloe glanced toward her daughter, trying to seem noncommittal and not suspicious. Trixie had grabbed her Shirley Temple and given it a tentative sip before making a face and putting it back on the table. She then looked out past the railing of the condo balcony to the ocean that stretched beyond. The sun was hot, but the breeze coming off the Atlantic Ocean was cool, salty, and pleasant. It could have been another day in LA if the events that had just occurred had not happened.

"Well I appreciate you both coming, but I do have to get back to set. Please, make yourself at home. I will pick up Chinese for dinner!" Penelope let out a trill of laughter, still obviously enjoying the surprise company. Then she stood up and shooed the waiter away. "I'll call you later, Carlos," she said with a wink at Chloe before disappearing inside.

The waves crashing against the shore down below were peaceful but loud. The sun was setting on the other side of the building, casting long shadows on the sand. It gave Chloe an idea.

"Do you want to walk along the beach?" she asked Trixie. Trixie looked out at the ocean, the waves reflecting in her dark, somber eyes. She seemed to think for a moment before wordlessly nodding.

They left the condo, rode down the tiny elevator, and joined a few other people walking along the shores of the beach. The salty air was a calm reminder of home. The seagulls, screaming for their dinner and hovering like vultures above their heads, added to the peaceful ambiance. Her insides, however, were doing a soiree of their own.

"Trixie, baby, are you okay?" she finally got the nerve to ask, after an older couple had passed them and left their earshot. "You saw a lot today. You had Lucifer's brother, Michael, in your head. A lot happened. Are you okay?"

"Mommy, is daddy really dead?" Trixie asked quietly, voice calm but betraying a slight waver. Chloe's heart broke.

"I'm so sorry, monkey," she whispered, kneeling next to her daughter and gently grabbing her shoulders. "Nobody should have had to go through what you went through. That is so much to handle. But Trixie, it will be okay. Lucifer will take care of him. I know that, and so do you. We have to trust him."

Trixie's eyes gave away her emotions, and tears were rolling down her cheeks solemnly as Chloe spoke. Chloe brought her daughter in for a deep hug, wishing through the embrace that she could take all of Trixie's pain away. Too much had happened today.

The shadows in the sand grew more pronounced as they continued onto the beach, leaving the condo behind. Chloe's phone dinged as they passed some beach chairs set up on the sand, right on the edge of the soon-to-come high tide. She wordlessly gestured Trixie that way and they sat down together.

"Who is it?" Trixie asked, voice still quiet but calming down.

"Lucifer," Chloe replied. "He wants to come visit us. Can he come visit us?"

"Yes," Trixie said. "As long as Daddy is okay."

"We will ask him when he gets here," Chloe promised, before replying to Lucifer's inquiring text about where they had gone – it seemed he had showed up at the condo with neither of them to be seen and he had gotten concerned. _Took a walk along the beach. Headed south, maybe a half hour out?_

It was maybe twenty seconds until she blinked and suddenly Lucifer was strolling up, looking handsome as ever in a fresh suit and post-shower. The sight of him made her heart flutter, for more reasons than one.

"I'm glad you are both safe," he began, smiling that sympathetic, truthful smile he had shared with her the night he left her to return to Hell.

"Is my Daddy okay?" Trixie asked almost shyly, as if she hadn't known Lucifer for the better part of the last few years. Lucifer gave a careful nod.

"He's with Maze now back in Hell, which is, ironically enough, the safest place for him right now," he replied with a small smile and a slight tilt of his head. "Your father will be well taken care of, I assure you."

"Will you bring him to heaven?" Trixie asked innocently, but Chloe could hear the secretive curiosity in her voice. She remembered what she had said before, when she had been under Michael's charm. Lucifer visibly flinched, looking awkward as he audibly let out a noncommittal grunt that sounded neither here nor there. He shot Chloe a desperate look, requesting her intervention. Although curious if this could indeed be arranged sooner rather than later, she obliged.

"Lucifer is trying to get everybody into heaven," she informed Trixie for him. "And of course your daddy will be on the list. And until then, Maze will take care of him and he will be safe down there. Is that okay?"

"I suppose so," she said with a quiet voice. Chloe looked back to Lucifer, who seemed to think for a moment before taking out his cell phone – a rare occurrence since the fiasco that was the months he spent with Eve. He then did something she didn't see coming – he knelt, in the sand no less, in front of her daughter. Eyes solemn and serious, he showed her his phone.

"I can help you two communicate," he said. "At least until he makes it to heaven. We can record video back and forth between you two and you can have conversations. There isn't any service in Hell, unfortunately, but this way you can see each other. Does that work for you, child?"

Trixie contemplated for a moment, but her demeanor lifted instantly.

"Okay," she replied, voice perking up. She let out the first genuine smile Chloe had seen all day. She smiled back.

Lucifer accompanied them back to the condo, not-so-subtly grabbing Chloe's hand as they did so. Trixie crowed with excitement at that, making kissy faces before running on ahead. She certainly felt better.

"Thank you, Lucifer," Chloe said meaningfully, turning her face to smile gratefully at him. He smiled back, that genuine warmth crossing his face. This was a warmth that filled her with warmth of her own, from deep in her stomach. It was a very pleasant feeling, and not one she had felt in a very long time.

"What will you do about Michael?" she asked. Lucifer's eyes darkened and he turned his face back to their path.

"I don't know," he said honestly after a moment. "I don't know, Chloe. I'm not… I've never been strong enough to face him successfully. If my final moments in the Silver City taught me anything, it was that he was stronger."

"And douchier." Chloe let the quip escape her mouth before she could catch herself, and it paid off – the corner of his mouth twitched again.

"Yes, much, much douchier," he agreed. His hand squeezed hers. "It goes beyond that, too. He should never have threatened you."

"We need to stand up to him," she told him, bringing him to a halt with her tugging arm. Trixie had distracted herself up ahead chasing some late-evening birds looking for dinner. Lucifer paused and turned to face her. "Lucifer, we have to do something. I can't hide out here with Trixie forever. And knowing how resourceful angels can be, we won't be hidden for long."

Lucifer nodded slowly, pain flashing across his face. She noticed he hadn't been wearing the sling for awhile, and she touched his left arm slowly.

"Are you okay?" she asked him then. He let out a quick nod.

"It turns out one can get used to pain after awhile," Lucifer answered her with a small smile. "I've certainly had worse, Detective."

"I remember," she surmised, thinking back to the first time he had bled in front of her, after she had shot him. Next in line was Malcolm and Lucifer's sacrifice for her. Then there was the hostage situation at Lux a few months prior. He had come very close to a human death both times. "You've definitely had worse. You've almost died a few times."

"_Almost,_" he emphasized with a quick grin. "I've died for you twice, Detective. And both times were worth it, despite the repercussions."

"What?" Chloe's eyes widened as she stared at him. "You've died? Twice? How are you still here?"

Lucifer dropped her hand, reaching up instead to her face.

"Maybe my father likes me more than I'll care to admit," he said lowly, tenderly. His eyes gazed at hers, steady and unwavering. "He brought me back once to save you. The second time, I had to die in order to save your life. That time, I only came back because of my mother."

She blinked, fighting the tears that threatened to appear in her eyelids.

"You had to die?" she echoed. "What does that mean?"

He dropped his hand again, resuming holding hers. He pointed to Trixie, who had gone on a bit farther ahead than Chloe would have liked her to. She followed his lead and resumed walking, awash in attempts to fill in those ignorant blanks she'd had before finding out his not-so-secret identity.

"You were dying, Chloe," he said simply. "The formula for the cure was in the head of that deranged man who was giving those university students ultimatums. So I had to die in order to get the cure from him to save your life."

Chloe remembered little of that time, but she did remember just how horrible she had felt in that hospital bed, knowing that there wasn't anything that could be done but also having faith that Lucifer would find a way. Even back then, he hadn't operated completely on the same plane of existence as them, and she had subconsciously believed he would produce a miracle, which indeed he had done.

"Why couldn't you fly down there?" she asked. "Or was this when you didn't have your wings?"

"Precisely. My wings reappeared later," he answered.

"So you've died for me twice." Her voice was low, thoughtful. She was lost in thought, digesting the information she now had to plug a few holes in her pre-knowledge days. He had done all of that for her… "You've done all of these good deeds, Lucifer. What's stopping you from returning to heaven?"

Lucifer looked shocked for a moment. He scoffed, a usual deflection from the idea that she had come to know was only because he didn't want to think of it.

"My father made his stance very clear," he retorted, voice just barely biting back the scorn as he shot an angry glance upwards. "He punished me and cast me out, the only of his children he'd ever done that to."

"Every child, after awhile, needs to reconcile with their parent," Chloe reasoned. "It's the mature thing to do. Perhaps…perhaps that's why Michael is down here. It's time for you to reconcile."

"That's if my father could be mature," he snapped quickly, before letting out a sigh and releasing tension in his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I should not be taking my familial frustrations out on you."

"You have millennia of anger, it's okay. What about your siblings, Lucifer? Do you have any other ones in heaven that may side with you against Michael?"

Lucifer thought for a moment, eyes looking upwards again, this time much less angrily.

"Nobody likes Michael," he finally told her, eyes sliding back to glance at her. "He's always thought he was entitled. He's always been more entitled than the rest of us. Where most of my siblings do their duties diligently, he's always craved power and approval from my father. Dear old Dad keeps his hands out of things, meaning Michael is always on the righteous warpath."

"So perhaps they would side with us?" she asked hopefully, not containing that hope from creeping into her town. "If we were able to get word to them, they could help contain Michael? Help him see reason?"

Lucifer sighed. The condo was in sight now, shining in its towering beauty. Trixie was waiting at the gate for them. Chloe admired its warm light bathing the sand and the ocean in an otherworldly glow.

"That's the problem," he said heavily. "I'm not sure if my siblings' dislike of my brother would go far enough to help me after my exile."

"Well, it can't hurt to try," she said. "The more the merrier. It's time for you to be forgiven for your sins. If the humans get a break, then so do the angels. I want you to make a list and I want us to contact as many as you think would help us." The authority that filtered through her voice masked the awe and wonder she felt internally at leading a potential fight between angels. How had her simple detective life led to this?

"Lucifer, are you going to stay with us?" Trixie asked excitedly, grabbing onto his other hand. Chloe noticed he didn't immediately pull his hand away, and felt a leap of excitement of her own. He deserved better than Hell. He had turned into a good man. Lucifer smiled quickly down at Trixie.

"It sounds like your mother is putting me on duty," he said honestly. "I may have to run a few errands before that can happen. But eventually…I wouldn't mind that." He smiled at Chloe and she felt her heart ache. This was going to happen, damn it!

"Let's get that list going," she whispered to him as they walked back into the condo building and meandered over to the elevator. "I'll call Amenadiel and Azrael."

Before he could protest at the speed at which she was moving, Chloe folded her hands, winked at Trixie, and prayed.

No time like the present.


	20. A True Angel Again

Just the very idea of flying north instead of his usual southerly destination left an ugly taste in Lucifer's mouth. It wasn't the idea that he had a choice again; a place of cold versus a place of warmth; nor was it the idea of a torturous Hell versus a bright, welcoming Heaven: for Lucifer, the two places were equal in his distaste of locale.

No, this was different.

He could hear Linda's ever-prying voice in the back of his head, almost as if he were still in therapy with him. She would say something like, _Perhaps it's not the place that scares you, but rather the people – or angels – who inhabit it?_ To which he would curtly and smoothly reply that nothing scared him, he was the king of Hell for crying out loud. But inwardly, he knew both himself and his inner Linda voice could tell when he was being less than truthful.

So it was after a quiet stroll by himself, leaving the bustle of the suddenly-busy working home of Penelope Decker, science fantasy actress extraordinaire, that Lucifer found himself in that state of not-scared (_nervous, _he kept insisting to himself) next to Amenadiel, who had just materialized his wings and was waiting, half amused and half pitying as he watched Lucifer.

"You remember the way?" Amenadiel asked, his voice light and joking but his expression offering sympathy to the weight of the situation. Lucifer sighed, looking upwards. As long as he could avoid dear old _Dad,_ he would call the mission – albeit very, very short mission – a success.

"Of course I do, Amenadiel. I fell but I didn't hit my head," he snapped back, before sighing yet again – a reaction that was becoming rapidly too common. "This is much more difficult than I thought it would be, is all."

"Don't you think you deserve to return after all this time?" his older brother asked carefully. "You have earned your place back home, Luci."

"You didn't seem to think so only a couple years ago," Lucifer reminded him, knowing he was stalling an inevitable conclusion. "Our siblings don't have years to see reason."

"That's why I'm going with you. Take a deep breath, brother. You have earned your place back home. The Silver City would be better off with you in it."

"Well, don't get your hopes up for a long reunion," Lucifer replied under his breath. He sighed one more time and shot a final fleeting glance up at the sky. Then he shrugged his wings out, feeling the cool late-night breeze off the ocean flit across his feathers, caressing each one. His wings were happy to be out, as always. The ridiculous bloody white things were a nuisance, but anything beat the ugly leathery stereotypical wings that his subconscious had apparently pushed on him after killing Pierce. He looked at Amenadiel, who smiled, expression so calm, so sure. So Amenadiel.

"Let's go," his brother said simply. Lucifer nodded and left the earth with one quick motion.

The metaphorical ascension to the Silver City passed by much too quickly for him, especially since he had so far been able to pretend his first home was far enough away that testing the waters hadn't warranted the need for a visit. And yet, it was over as soon as it had begun – they landed gently on a bed of green grass, a lawn looking just a little too perfect. Lucifer frowned at the grass, delaying the inevitability of eventually looking up and letting his eyes receive the vision that would be in front of him. Amenadiel, thankfully, stayed silent as he fought this small inner battle.

And then he couldn't contain it anymore – Lucifer looked up from the ground at the Silver City.

The green grass led to a smooth, solid surface that faintly resembled a sidewalk back on earth, except it wasn't – not a single flaw, crack, or line could be seen. The surface was reflective and shimmering in the golden radiance that shown from above. His eyes followed his path to a set of gates – not pearly and white, but silver and delicate. Still, those delicate gates did their job in framing the city's magnificent structures against a bright yellow skyline. The city was indeed silver, as its name implied, but the radiance coming from above cast everything in that same golden glow the path in front of their feet reflected.

So many things were running through Lucifer's mind. He felt nauseated, he felt exhilarated, he felt – foreign. Everything was so familiar and yet still so distant a memory. This place was already giving him a headache.

"Are you ready to go?" Amenadiel asked calmly, and Lucifer turned his head to eye his brother, certain he would be basking in the "I told you so" attitude – but he wasn't. He was smiling calmly, eyes and skin reflecting the glow from above and giving Lucifer a reminder of what an angel truly was here. He glanced down quickly at himself, and groaned when he saw the exposed skin of his hands – sure enough, they were glowing too.

"This is embarrassing," he hissed, trying to shove his hands in his designer pants pockets – something the pockets weren't really designed for. "Shouldn't this all be gone? This has to be another punishment of Dad's."

"Luci," Amenadiel said calmly, putting his hand on his shoulder, "you need to stop thinking Dad has everything to do with this. Perhaps I was right. You are ready to return home."

"LA is my home," Lucifer snapped, huffing as he gave up on hiding his exposed hands. This wouldn't matter if his face was doing the same thing, anyway. "Let's just get this over with. I highly doubt they'll let me past the gates anyway."

Amenadiel laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Always so dramatic, my brother," he replied with a grin. "The gates are symbolic. Come on." With that, Amenadiel stepped forward onto the path. Lucifer checked his feet again, glaring at the grass, as he followed suit. His foot touched the path gingerly, but no rain of fire approached him. In fact, nothing happened at all. He was perplexed: the last time he had stood in this very spot, Michael had been shoving his ass out of Heaven. Why weren't there any repercussions to returning?

He had gotten lost in his thoughts, and Lucifer noticed Amenadiel hadn't stopped to see if Lucifer would burst into flame or something. Lucifer grunted and picked up the pace, lengthening his stride to match his brother's. His insides seemed to be having a party he hadn't been invited to as they approached the gate. Amenadiel pushed open the left side with ease, waving his hand to some new souls who had just arrived to enter first. They looked in awe as they stepped slowly through the gate, taking in the sight. Lucifer groaned.

"Come on, we need to get going," he muttered as he squeezed his way past the new souls. Amenadiel followed right behind him, leaving the gate open for a growing crowd of souls waiting for them to pass through.

"And where are we going?" a new voice joined the fray. Lucifer stopped short, the voice he hadn't heard in thousands of years resonating in his head. He whipped around and saw another of his brothers, arms crossed, leaning against the inside gates as he grinned mischievously.

"Gabriel," Lucifer responded, catching the wonder and curiosity in his own voice. "I should have known to expect a welcome party."

"Actually, Remi just felt you two pop up and I had to see it for myself," his brother said, grinning more. "After all this time, you finally show your face around here again."

"Well, I could hardly come back on my own, seeing as how the last time I was here, I left in a rather dramatic fashion," Lucifer reminded him as he crossed his own arms.

"Oh come on, you two," Amenadiel cut in, before addressing Gabriel. "We are on a mission. It's very important we speak to the family about –"

"About Michael, yes, we all know," Gabriel replied with a wink. "He hasn't exactly been the favorite sibling around the city. Even you were tolerable compared to him, Luci."

Lucifer let out a chuckle. "I'm sure, Gabe."

Gabriel lifted off against the gate and approached them. "Everybody is around, if you want me to call them together. Of course Azrael is a bit busy, and then we won't have Uriel joining us. Not that it's your fault or anything." He smirked. Lucifer rolled his eyes; Gabriel was ever the jokester about everything.

"That isn't funny," he retorted. "Uriel put me in a bad position, and it was my only option."

Gabe faux yawned and waved his arm. "Come on, Luce. I'll go grab everybody else and meet you in the courtyard." Within a moment he had disappeared, leaving Lucifer feeling rather odd. Gabriel had been one of his preferred brothers, but he had a tendency to take everything as a joke.

"Shit, he's going to call _everybody_," Lucifer voiced out loud then. "Hold on, I'm going to pray to him quick.

_Don't bother Dad with this. I don't want him to be a part of this, Gabe, _he threatened in his mind. Hopefully that would do the trick.

"Let's go grab Remi, I wanted to visit with her and mend old conflicts," Amenadiel announced then. "Last time I saw her, we fought over Charlie."

"That's right, I remember you telling me that," Lucifer said slowly. "Remiel, always the charmer."

"She has a job to do, just like the rest of us," his brother reminded him, before quickly adding: "But not you anymore, of course. Not like you used to do."

"Whatever," Lucifer said dryly. "I just wanted to get this over with, and I am not looking forward to facing all of them. Who knows what Michael has told them."

"Lucy, nobody likes Michael. They'll listen to you," Amenadiel reassured him with a smile. Lucifer did not feel very reassured, especially with all the souls around them. He felt rather claustrophobic.

"Can we go somewhere a bit quieter?" he asked lowly. "I feel like everybody is staring at me."

Amenadiel gestured them onward, leading the way. Lucifer confessed to himself that he did not remember every path in this city anymore, so he quietly let his oldest brother do so.

"They are staring at you, Lucy, because they know who you are," he said. "You've returned home, a true angel again."

"Stop saying that!" Lucifer snapped quickly, tugging his sleeves down. "You know I don't like it here."

Amenadiel didn't apologize, but by then they had crossed the entrance to the city and had joined the throng of the inner town. Tall, silver buildings rose up on either side of them, beckoning them in further. Amenadiel took a left at the fork in the road and left the busier throngs of people behind. Lucifer gratefully followed him, and they slowly left the din of the main city.

"Where are we going again? I don't recognize this path," Lucifer asked him.

"The courtyard," Amenadiel answered, "but we're making a quick stop first."

He paused outside an archway, turning and entering a large room. Lucifer recognized it immediately.

"Arms room, of course Remi would be here," he groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Do you have a problem with that, _brother_?" Remiel's voice spat out from across the room, making it apparent she had heard Lucifer's qualm. "Perhaps I need to test one of these weapons out on you?"

"That won't be necessary, Remiel," Amenadiel spoke calmly. "Lucifer is here in peace."

"So you say," Lucifer grumbled to himself. He met Remiel's stare with one of his own, glowering at her from slightly behind Amenadiel. "I'm here to discuss Michael."

Remiel rolled her eyes and slammed her spear down.

"You and Michael are so alike – stubborn and annoying. It's a wonder you two don't get along," she retorted. "Gabriel has called us to the courtyard. I'm inclined to listen."

Amenadiel nodded.

"I heard him too," he said. Lucifer frowned at the two of them, hanging behind while Remiel led the way out. He had not heard Gabriel's voice. Perhaps it wasn't directed at him? Puzzling at this to himself, he let his feet carry him slowly to the courtyard, nerves building in his stomach. He sent a silent prayer to Azrael, asking her to come if she could. It would help having his favorite sister involved.

The courtyard was just as Lucifer had remembered it from his last time in Heaven. The wide expanse of smooth marble coated the ground and offered more of that _blasted reflection _of the sky. Ornamental trees dotted the landscape and a silvery waterfall on the far end of the yard provided what was usually a peaceful place to meet. A set of smooth, stone chairs – _thrones_, Lucifer thought bitterly to himself – were arranged in a circle. Most of them were already full. He looked to where he remembered his to be – still a black scorched ruin, but a newer, smaller chair had been erected right next to it. He blinked in surprise. He had a new chair?

The courtyard was peaceful, save for the words exchanged by his siblings down below. He trudged behind Amenadiel and Remiel, feeling more and more anxious as he continued along. He hadn't seen most of his siblings in eons.

All speaking ceased as they entered the circle. Lucifer looked around at each of his siblings, studying their faces. Amenadiel took his place at the head of the circle, seated between Michael's empty chair and Raphael. Gabriel was lounging next to Raphael, feet swung over the side of his chair as he offered Lucifer a wink. Jophiel was looking down at her hands, not meeting his eyes. Ariel had her mouth set in a firm expression, not offering any thoughts. Chamuel was just sitting down and offered him a hard stare as he got comfortable. Azrael's chair sat empty, and if Lucifer looked hard enough, he could imagine he saw celestial cobwebs. Remiel, representing the lower host of angels, took her spot opposite Amenadiel, slamming her staff down again. Lucifer looked at her and she gestured impatiently at his new chair. Lucifer stared at the old chair again, remembering the exact moment it had broken, before quickly going to his chair. He unbuttoned his coat and sat down gingerly, expecting, yet again, to be cast out as he did so. Nothing happened. He settled in and began playing with his cufflinks, trying to ignore the obvious stares from his siblings.

"Why did you call us here, Gabriel?" Raphael asked calmly, not addressing the Lucifer in the room.

"That's for our long lost brother here to share," Gabe said with a big smile. "Lucifer, would you like the floor?"

Lucifer shot a glare at Gabe – damn, he could be so annoying. But he was here for a purpose and it was time he got it over with.

"Very well," he said with a sigh, standing up. Before he could speak, however, Remiel slammed her staff again.

"Azrael is coming," she said to the group, ignoring Lucifer. There was some surprised murmurs, but the courtyard again became silent as Azrael appeared in her chair, looking as if she'd always been there.

"Sorry I'm late," she said quickly, pushing her glasses up and beaming up at Lucifer. "Please continue."

Lucifer offered her a smile, taking heart in the fact that he knew one sibling would always side with him. Then he turned to address the group again.


	21. Babysitting Duty

A/N: 3 months later to the day...Sorry, guys. I'm getting close to finished with this story now, so thanks for sticking through it. Hope you are all staying safe and healthy. Shout out to an author over in the FFVII section of for reminding me that we all go through writer's block and we just have to plug through it!

_Recap: Lucifer visited the Silver City to plead his case against Michael with his siblings._

* * *

If Lucifer's prolonged disappearances while he was in Hell were anything to go by, Chloe half expected it to take at least a week for him to get back to her. She had resigned herself to the fate of being dragged around by her mother to see the sights on the east coast while her mind lingered far away, trying to imagine a "silver city" and cross-reference it with depictions of heaven. Just how far away was Lucifer's first home? She didn't understand the concept of distance here, and since astronomers hadn't discovered a shining city in the sky, it was all she could do to not lose herself in contemplation.

What Chloe wasn't expecting, however, was the impressive speed at which everything happened instead.

The sun was shining down on the pier as she leaned over the railing and watched the tide creep in, wafting a strong, salty breath towards her with each push and pull. Behind her, the carousel music dinged in cheery fashion as kids screamed around her in delight. She offered a quick glance over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of Trixie, who was just embarking on the back of a shiny, black horse with her grandma's help. Chloe smiled slightly, wishing normalcy upon her daughter's life. Once this was all over, she could only imagine the struggle Dan's funeral would be for all of them.

Her phone chimed once, startling her from her thoughts. Her left hand gripped the rail in anticipation as she pulled it out of her pocket.

_Back._

That was all it said, but it was enough. Chloe sighed, releasing tension she hadn't known she was holding in her shoulders out in one large exhale. Her hand left the railing and flew to the phone. _On the pier a few miles north. Carousel._ Lucifer was back

And back he was as he practically materialized a few minutes later, looking much the same as before. If she looked closely enough, Chloe could swear he looked different though. Calmer? Happier? …Shinier?

"Lucifer, you're glowing," she half-whispered incredulously as he approached. Lucifer's eyes flew open and he glanced quickly about himself before grumbling. There was the familiar reaction; her heart fluttered and she couldn't help but smile.

"Must be a side-effect of being back _there_ for so long," he huffed, clearly annoyed. "No matter, it should wear off soon. I am sorry I kept you waiting, Detective."

Chloe blinked.

"Lucifer, you left last night," she replied in confusion. "You haven't been gone that long."

"Oh – right," Lucifer replied with a snap of his fingers and an eye roll. "Time moves differently than here or Hell up there." His finger pointed dramatically upwards. "It moves more quickly."

"How long have you been gone?" she asked curiously. This was interesting news. Just how long had Lucifer stood where he was once cast down?

He shrugged.

"I'm not the best keeper of time, but I would have said at least a week," he said. "Things can take a long time to be said up there, especially when all of my siblings are in on it."

"So, they were all there then?" She could barely keep the excitement from her voice. "What happened?"

"Lucifer waved his hand, as if to dismiss the subject. His eyes watched the carousel as it began to spin, and Chloe didn't know if he was waiting for the right time, remembering what happened, or avoiding the topic altogether. She turned back to her previous position on the railing, eyes following the waves again.

"Everybody showed up," Lucifer finally answered, and she swore she could make out a slight awe in his voice. "They all listened, gave me the benefit of the doubt in one way or another. It-well, it doesn't make any sense, Detective."

He sounded confused, and she couldn't help but to turn back to him and meet his eyes. There it was, the hope that she had seen hidden beneath the surface. The thought of betrayal usually pushed this expression from his face, save for a few precious moments she had caught him with his guard down.

Chloe pressed her palm to his cheek, staring into his eyes and relishing in that hope.

"You're worth listening to," she promised. "I'm here, aren't I?"

He let out a laugh but didn't move from her hand.

"After all this time, I didn't know," Lucifer said. Chloe felt the urge to kiss him then, to help convey her message a bit more clearly that she did think he was very worth listening to. She didn't get the chance.

"Is that Lucifer?" Penelope Decker called then and Chloe broke eye contact to see her mom fast approaching as she didn't even try to hide the excitement in her voice. Chloe dropped her hand and the beautiful moment was gone. She put on a bright smile and faced her family as they settled in front of her and Lucifer, Trixie looking just as delighted as her mom to see Lucifer.

"Penelope, always a pleasure," Lucifer said warmly, pulling Chloe's mom in for a quick but gentle hug. "You are more radiant every time we meet."

"Oh Lucifer, you flatter me," she replied airily, voice breathless. Chloe tried to keep from rolling her eyes, but couldn't. Trixie giggled and Lucifer raised one eyebrow up at her before pulling back. "You must stay for dinner, darling. We need to catch up!"

"I would be honored to, but I must attend to some family business," he replied smoothly, adjusting the immaculate cuffs on his sleeves. His glow had mostly worn off now, but his pale skin still radiated from the sunlight up above. Chloe wondered if anybody else had noticed. "And I'm afraid I must steal Chloe away for the rest of the day, if that's all right with the two of you, of course."

Trixie nodded with a grin – the first one she had shown that day, Chloe noted – and her mom's smile drooped a little but she nodded too.

"One of these days you will have to join us," she scolded good-naturedly. Lucifer offered her a quick, sultry smile while Chloe rolled her eyes again, and he gently took her elbow, steering her away.

"You're bringing me with?" Chloe asked instantly, previous conversation instantly forgotten. "Are we fighting _right now_?"

"No, not yet." Lucifer didn't elaborate as he led her away from the bustling pier to the crowded sandy beaches. When he didn't elaborate further, she crossed her arms.

"Lucifer, what's going on?" she asked. "Where are we going?"

They rounded the corner as he steered her up a sand dune trail, leaving behind the busy beach for a secluded, grassy knoll. Chloe was just opening her mouth to retort that she had a right to know what was going on when he interrupted her with a kiss. While she was used to the soft, hesitance of their previous, always ill-timed kisses, this time he kissed her firmly, as if to claim her words himself. She brought a hand up to his cheek again, returning it with one of her own. Then she brought her head back from his and smiled up at him.

"That was overdue," she said breathlessly. He chuckled, sounding a little less composed than usual. "I really would like to do more of that, but can we figure out the plan first?"

"Oh yes, right, of course," he replied absently, eyes still drinking in her face. It was enough to make her blush, so she looked down and slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "The plan."

He hesitated again and Chloe gestured him onward, laughing at his lack of ability to follow through his own train of thought.

"Well, Detective, after much convincing on Amenadiel's part, it was agreed that a few of my brothers will lure him out. _Some of them_ –" he clenched his teeth and scoffed at this part, "seem to think that talking will dissuade him, while I know that this is an absolute waste of time. Amenadiel insisted I go along with their tactics, if only to get them to our side. It just seems like a huge waste of time, trying to talk to him instead of just…you know."

Chloe shook her head and smiled again, internally processing this information.

"What's plan B?" she asked. Lucifer blinked and looked at her.

"Plan B?" he echoed.

"Yes. You know, for when that doesn't work."

Lucifer sighed heavily. "We didn't get that far. We don't go around killing each other, for one, as was made absolutely clear to me by my siblings. Rafael was the worst," he muttered to himself as an afterthought. He cleared his throat and straightened up. "It's no matter. My job is to keep you out of harm's way as much as possible."

"Aw, you got babysitting duty?" she teased him, altogether more than happy that he would be staying safe with her instead of trying to dissuade his maniac brother. Lucifer frowned as he digested her words, and it caused her to laugh again.

"So where do you want to go?" she asked, trying to keep the mood light. Internally, her detective brain was furiously thinking about possible plan B scenarios for when plan A: Talk to Michael didn't work. Chloe hoped it didn't show on her face, however; Lucifer obviously needed a distraction. So she wrapped her fingers around his arm, her senses delighting in the silky smooth texture of his designer suitcoat and the warmth of being closer to him. Smiling up at him, she marveled how he could still have that tinge of a glow around him. Lucifer really, truly was an angel to his core. "Maybe we can get some dinner or something."

Lucifer's eyes shed his worries from earlier and melted into a warmth that made her heart skip a beat.

"We _are_ supposed to stay away from everything," he mused as he smirked at her. "However, if we are going to dinner, you will need to change."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Chloe asked indignantly, removing her hand from his arm, but by then it was too late – the wheels were turning in Lucifer's head now, and he grabbed her hand. Before she could blink, she found herself pressed up against him suddenly as white feathers surrounded her. She gasped.

"Hold on then," he murmured in her ear. Then they were flying.

If she had thought the previous experience flying with an angel had been exhilarating, it was nothing compared to the sheer euphoria she had now, still breathless from their kiss and stunned at the speed which everything happened. What should have been howling wind in her ears and hair was nothing more than an easy breeze, tickling her hair against her neck and making her giggle. Half of her wanted to open her eyes, but the other half was cautious what a sudden discovery of a fear of heights would do to the moment. She squeezed them shut tighter, relishing in the moment as she felt Lucifer wordlessly pull her closer.

All too soon it was over. Her hair was still moving, but this time by a breeze that spun through leaves noisily and cascaded across her face. Lucifer let her go and Chloe took a deep breath in, enamored by the sweet scent of nature and him. She slowly opened her eyes.

They were in a clearing in the middle of a wide forest. Deciduous trees rose tall and steady amongst rose bushes in peak bloom and other assortments of brightly colored flowers, delicately placed in perfectly manicured landscaping. Surrounding them were paver stone pathways leading off in different directions, twisting behind the beautifully-placed nature. She opened her mouth in amazement.

"Lucifer, where _are_ we?" she asked breathlessly, eyes drinking in the sights as she worked to catch her breath from their flight. Instead of answering her, Lucifer held up one slender finger, gave another smirk, and disappeared in a flash. He was back again before she could barely blink, arms full of a large box. He held it out to her wordlessly, his eyes warm.

"I hope you will do me the honor of joining me for dinner?" Lucifer asked in a gentle voice he only reserved for private moments like this. Chloe accepted the box, her eyes widening as she saw the contents inside. Quickly she glanced back up, an astonished refusal on her lips, but when she saw the almost childlike eagerness on his face, she closed her mouth and nodded, feeling a wave of excitement run through her. Lucifer gestured her toward one of the paths, which led to a very fancy looking bathroom. Once there she changed quickly, doing her best not to look at herself in the mirror. Her hair, pulled up in its usual pony, was not nearly fancy enough for the dress he had found her – which fit her perfectly, she noticed with a blush. Lucifer was definitely one to know sizes.

After struggling with the zipper for a few minutes, Chloe finally found the strength to look in one of the full-length mirrors that decorated the too-pretty bathroom. She admired the deep red shade of the dress, traced her fingertips along the soft silk that cinched at her waist and lightly flared out to her mid-thighs. The sweetheart strapless neckline made her neck feel exposed, save for the simple chain necklace with the bullet she had shot Lucifer with back in the day. It somehow seemed to add the perfect finishing touch to the otherwise gaudy outfit. Sighing deeply, she shoved her clothes back in the box and hoisted it under her arm, leaving the restroom to a waiting Lucifer.

He smiled, eyes trailing over her outfit with a warm pleasure very obvious in the way they shone. She tried not to smile, instead thrusting the box back to him. He accepted it gracefully, seeming to make it disappear almost instantly with a waiting maître d', who silently gestured for them to follow him. Lucifer offered his arm in the most gentlemanly fashion, and Chloe took it with a small smile, internally squealing. She had never been the biggest fan of cheesy romance, but Lucifer had a way of making even the cheesiest romance seem like a polished gesture of warmth and love.

As they were seated in the most romantic outdoor setting imaginable, Chloe could almost forget the real reason they were here in the first place – and wondered how plan A was going with the angels.


	22. Quite the Standoff

"Lucifer, are you okay?"

Chloe's voice cut through the internal dialogue that Lucifer was having with himself, and he looked over at her in surprise, not realizing he had been so deep in thought. In the darkness quickly enveloping them, he had enough sight to see her head was tilted, lips slightly parted at the end of her question. Her eyes were warm but concerned, as only her eyes could be. She was simply stunning. Here he was, relishing in his innermost thoughts on the worst time one could imagine. It simply wouldn't do.

"I'm so sorry," he replied smoothly, breaking into a smile., "I'm not being very conversational, am I? And here we are, all dressed up for an occasion that should command my absolute attention."

Night had fallen and dinner had long since been swept away. Lucifer had found the food rather pleasant, but he especially enjoyed Chloe's attempts at stifling her reaction to proper cuisine. While he knew she preferred simpler tastes – such as his grilled cheese sandwiches, fake cheese and all (he shuddered inwardly) – there wasn't a moment that he hadn't thought of properly taking her out and showing her the best of evenings. And depending on what would happen soon, it may have been their only opportunity…

"I get it," Chloe replied seriously, mouth etching into a slight frown that creased above her brows. "It's hard to distract yourself with everything going on."

Lucifer sighed and sat up straight, folding his hands neatly in his lap. They were sitting closely on a bench they had found whilst strolling through the grounds after they ate. The trees were behind them and above was a perfectly clear, starry night.

"That shouldn't be the point, Detective," Lucifer said earnestly, trying to convey just how much this meant to him. "I've been wanting to spend time with you since before I left. Since before _you_ left for Rome, even." He leaned forward and stared into her eyes, which in this dark light broken only by fairy lights behind them looked like reflections of the stars above. He couldn't entirely read her expression. "I want to spend that time with you now."

"While you still can?" her voice was steady but he could tell she knew what he was talking about. He nodded, overexaggerating his movement so she could see better. Being this close to Chloe was intoxicating, and Lucifer couldn't believe he had tried to stay away. She always saw the good in him and she always saw through him, a quality that had initially irked him to the point of his denying things she had seen in him. Now, that felt like a lifetime ago. Perhaps it was a lifetime ago…

Leaning in farther, Lucifer found her lips with his, savoring the cold, sweet taste of them for the briefest moment. Beneath their kiss, she shifted and brought a hand up to relax gently on his shoulder. It was a small gesture but it meant the world; even underneath his suit and buttoned shirt, the skin under the pressure of her hand felt warm and comfortable.

Oh, how he wished he could stay in this moment forever.

"What's next on your agenda?" Chloe asked when they had parted, adjusting her head to lean on his shoulder. Lucifer obliged the contact and wrapped an arm around her waist, settling into the contact and pulling her closer.

"That depends…" He replied, letting his normal, sultry voice take over for a moment. He didn't want to ruin the intimacy of this moment with any broad suggestions, but the obvious choice had, of course, crossed his mind. He inwardly cursed himself as the words left his mouth, feeling this moment didn't call for his usual tendencies.

"I'm sorry, Detective, that probably isn't appropriate given the –"

Lucifer was caught off guard as Chloe kissed him again, this time with more fervor. She moved her hand, fingers entwining themselves in his hair in a shocking moment of intimacy. Surprise only lasted for a moment, however, before his natural reflexes at being in such a situation took hold. He let out a quick moan of pleasure, wrapped his arms around her waist, and smiled against her lips as he pulled back slightly.

"Chloe, are you sure?"

She smiled up at him, galaxy eyes shining.

"Now's as good a time as any," she answered breathlessly. Lucifer stared at her, thinking for a moment. Was his heart beating faster? That certainly didn't make sense. He had brought to bed so many people before, but this was the first time he had ever truly felt nervous about a sexual encounter. Nevertheless, with her in his arms, he felt so right, so content. Adjusting ever so slightly, he stood up in a flash and cradled her in his arms.

"_Lucifer!_" Chloe shrieked, but not unpleasantly. She let out a laugh as he beamed down at her, taking in every detail on her face that he could see in the dark glow. Being with her just felt so right, and for once he didn't grimace as he let his wings slide out and envelop them, lifting them up into the stars.

He flew the first place that came to his mind: his penthouse in LA. While not the most practical move, little else was on his mind except showing Chloe the best night of her life. As his feet landed on the patio of his penthouse, he cradled her in his arms, not letting her go when she showed the first sign of getting down as expected. Instead, he carried her into the open room, up the stairs and his bedroom, before gently setting her on the bed. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, lips trailing down his neck. Each spot where she pressed against the skin left burning sensations like a warm fire.

"Mmm… Chloe…" he murmured, pulling away. "Give me just a moment, darling."

She answered with a noncommittal noise of her own, but nodded with a smile. He drank in her face, every last bit, before turning around and returning to his bar. Perhaps a nice glass of something top shelf would make the moment sweeter.

The sweet music playing in his head at the very idea of finally getting some alone time with his Chloe came to a record-scratching halt as he saw the figure at his bar, the unmistakable curly locks and medium build of the very person they were trying to avoid. All wonderful thoughts of romance flew out the window with the evening breeze.

Michael didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. Before he realized it, his brother's voice had found its way into his head, paralyzing his thoughts and submitting his own.

_I've been waiting for you,_ Michael thought, and even without facing him Lucifer could sense that cold indifference in his tone.

_Michael,_ Lucifer spat back. _It's time for you to go. You and your plight are no longer welcome here._

Michael remained sitting at the bar, and Lucifer was angered to see his liquor, in _his _glass, being enjoyed by the one being he would never have offered it to.

_I hear you went back to the Silver City,_ the other stated, ignoring what Lucifer said. _You know this is not allowed. You have broken Father's rules and therefore deserve capital punishment._

_It seems our siblings would disagree,_ Lucifer thought with an extra touch of malice and underlying pride. _They have agreed to my side. You are alone in your thoughts. Even Father –_

_Do not presume to know Father's thoughts on this! How dare you! _Michael's thoughts came stronger now, rage making Lucifer's head ache from the internal noise. _Your silver tongue and the waywardness of Amenadiel do not win you any favors over the true thoughts of Father himself. It's time for you to go, Lucifer. Return to whence you came and stay there this time._

_That isn't how this is going to go. I am going to call every single one of our siblings and show you the truth._

"_Lies,_" Michael seethed out loud, voice barely above a whisper. Lucifer watched as he turned around slowly, hand clenched tightly around the glass he was holding. He downed the rest of his drink, held the glass out, and let his finger uncurl. The glass fell to the floor and shattered.

"Lucifer?" Chloe called out tentatively. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, stay there please," Lucifer answered, fear flickering through his stomach as he remembered that she was still there. There was no way he was going to ever let Michael hurt his Chloe.

Michael seemed to realize that at the same time. Dark eyes sought over Lucifer's shoulder to the bedroom where she waited.

_Perhaps I should help you out now,_ Michael said again, returning to their silent form of communication. It was giving Lucifer a headache. _Bring this human to your rightful home for you to follow and stay put like the dog you are._

_You will _NOT _harm her! _Lucifer roared internally, shifting his stance and clenching his fists. _I won't let you!_

_What can you do? You couldn't stop me before, and something tells me you aren't strong enough to stop me again._ Michael was taunting him now, and Lucifer hated to admit to himself that the taunts were working.

His least favorite brother stood up, carefully avoiding the mess he had just created on the floor. He felt his foot twinge as he remembered when he had stepped in glass not so long ago himself. He shook his head angrily. Now was not the time.

_Look just – leave her alone,_ he thought, hating the slight tinge of desperation even his thoughts betrayed. Michael smiled and turned his back on him. He was obviously enjoying the position Lucifer was in.

_I never thought I would hear the day when you would be begging me for something. How the mighty have…fallen._

"Lucifer?"

Chloe's voice was closer this time, and Lucifer watched in horror as she appeared at the top of the stairs, still looking every bit as beautiful. He felt himself moving in response to seeing her, quickly putting himself between them. Her face portrayed shock and fear as she took in the sight.

"What's going on?" she asked uncertainly. Lucifer glanced at the elevator quickly – no way to get around Michael.

"Go back into the bathroom and wait," he instructed lowly.

"Why don't I just call your siblings instead?" Chloe replied. He looked quickly back at her. Her eyes were hard and glaring at Michael. "They'll sort this all out."

Michael laughed.

"How cute," he said to Lucifer, "You've got her in the loop on everything. I've never had affection for Father's playthings."

Michael jumped forward then, and it was all Lucifer could do to swing his arms out protectively. Michael wasn't going for Chloe, however: in a shocking moment Lucifer felt himself being violently shoved the other direction, facing Chloe. Cold steel bit dangerously at his throat and he raised his arms slowly. This was not how the next encounter was supposed to go.

"Make the call and I will end his existence. Trust me, it would be much easier for me," Michael threatened lowly. Chloe's eyes had widened in shock, mouth falling open. Even now she looked ethereal.

"You're joking," she said slowly, sounding unsure of herself.

"I don't think he is, Detective," Lucifer said with a short laugh that wasn't at all humorous. He was trying to think rapidly what to do. If he tried to pray to his siblings now, chances are Michael would hear him. And he would not put it past Michael to smite him here on the spot. "Look, Michael. Let her go. I'll…go back. If that's what you want. Just leave Chloe be."

Michael chuckled, his voice low and chilling.

"It's interesting what you'll say at the end of his blade," he surmised, trailing the blade down his neck. Lucifer's skin felt hot compared to the cold, unrelenting metal that threatened his very existence. He remembered Michael's sword well – the last time they had been toe to toe, it was to this blade that he had lost his attempt at proving to his Father and the rest of the heavenly host that their way was not worth the effort humanity would take. And then he had fallen…

Chloe had raised her hands carefully now too, expression calculating. She was clearly deep in thought.

"This is quite the stand-off," Michael said lowly. "I think I may just take you up on your offer, Samael. Or perhaps…perhaps I need to just get you out of the way. To think you've been able to persuade my siblings away from Father's path. That is unacceptable, Samael. You should know better."

"If you're so sure it's dear old _Dad's _path, perhaps we should call him down here and settle it once and for all," Lucifer spat back, feeling his former name roll over him like a bad smell. Michael chuckled again.

"You would like that, wouldn't you," he said. "No, I don't think I will."

He pulled the sword back and Lucifer turned to him to spit out another retort, anything to get Michael to stop focusing on Chloe. Instead, he saw a glint of steel, felt an agonizing pain on the side of his head, and knew no more.


	23. Worm on a Hook

"_Lucifer!_"

It had happened so quickly, and Chloe's normally quick-thinking detective brain seemed to screech to a halt at the sight of Lucifer so close to death – or being wiped out of existence, or whatever would happen if Michael were to run that sword through him. All she knew was that one moment they were there and the next they were gone. A single, sharp gray feather floated down in the empty space where the celestial brothers had stood.

Her cry was belated but not out of place. Chloe did the first thing that had come into her head when she was debating what to do but could not do at the time – she screamed as loud as she could in her mind for any of Lucifer's siblings; at least the names she could remember. She didn't know how she felt – panic? Was this panic? Her heart felt loud and unnatural in her chest. Breathing seemed more difficult than normal. She needed to focus on something, anything. Her feet brought her back up the stairs and to the bed, where she sat back down in dumbfounded silence, mind still reeling.

Azrael was the first to show up. Eyes wider than normal even in her owlish glasses, she gracefully approached Chloe as if she knew exactly where she would be in the oversized penthouse. The angel of death claimed the spot next to the detective, crossing her legs and waiting silently. She placed a calm, cool hand on Chloe's bare shoulder. Chloe shuddered involuntarily, remembering the getup she was still in.

"I'll be right back," she mumbled, catching out of the corner of her eye another presence. She didn't care right now. Once in Lucifer's much too large of a closet, she stared at the endless rows of suits and luxury clothing items. There was a rack dedicated to women's lingerie (something she wasn't too surprised at). Chloe reached for one of his suit jackets instead, wondering if it would smell like him. Sticking her arms through the sleeves, she pressed her nose into the fabric and inhaled deeply. Not really.

There was murmuring coming from the other room; more voices had joined the two that she had left. She peeked her head around the corner, unsure of what she would find, but not expecting to see five ordinary-looking people having a calm discussion.

"-can't just start something in the middle of a city," Azrael was speaking up, voice the audio version of 'duh.'

"We need to do something, and we need to do it now. Michael has gotten out of hand," a man answered with a frown, crossing his arms and staring towards the balcony where the hot tub lay silently simmering steam into the cool evening. Chloe brought the suit jacket around her more tightly. While this didn't create a noise, it certainly attracted the attention of all in the room, and she found herself staring into the faces of five celestial beings.

Amenadiel was in the corner. He offered a short but polite nod, mouth turned upwards in a serious, sympathetic line. Next to him was a young-ish man with sharp eyes and features that for some reason struck her as similar to fictional Peter Pan's. The third man was the one who had replied to Azrael, and he had a tall, serious demeanor about him, not unlike Amenadiel back when Chloe had first met him. Azrael was still sitting cross-legged on the bed, offering her a small encouraging smile. And finally, a tall woman with a set expression of seriousness gave her an impassive, disinterested glance.

"Uh, hi." Chloe swallowed dryly, trying to read the room. "I'm Chloe."

"What happened, Chloe?" Amenadiel asked, offering an arm for her to approach the group. She did cautiously, feeling a bit of hostility off the unknown tall woman. Peter Pan gave her a wink and a quick grin.

"Well, Lucifer and I, we…well, we came back here," she began lamely, trying to omit details of their intended plans for the evening. Azrael grinned from the bed and giggled. "Michael was here waiting for us. He ambushed us and threatened to kill Lucifer if either of us prayed. I don't know what he wants with him, but I'm not thinking it's good," she sighed, easing into the comfort that Amenadiel's presence provided. "He seemed to think all of Lucifer's siblings – you all – were being led astray from God's plan or something like that."

There was a hiss from Peter Pan, the sound of air being forced through teeth.

"He's always so touchy," he groaned. "What makes him think we would let Lucifer lead us 'astray'? Has he _met_ Raphael?" He gestured to the serious man, who cleared his throat. Chloe stared at him; the very idea that this man could be led astray was indeed quite preposterous. She didn't voice any of this out loud.

"There's no need for humor, Gabriel," Raphael answered briskly as he directed a glare the younger man's way. Peter Pan – _Gabriel_, Chloe thought wryly to herself, easily recognizing that angelic name – just smirked and didn't reply. "Needless to say, we need to do something about Michael and we need to do it quickly, before he upsets the entire balance and makes a mistake."

"You mean like Samael's mistake with Uriel?" The tall, haughty woman pointed out, voice not pleased nor pleasant to behold. She stared coldly at Chloe and she shuddered involuntarily, snuggling deeper into the suit jacket. If she tried hard enough, she imagined she could smell Lucifer's scent of musk and familiarity. She wished he was here; this was _not_ how she wanted to 'meet the family.'

As if sensing her discomfort, Azrael hopped up and appeared on her other side, so Chloe was enveloped in an angelic sandwich between her and Amenadiel. The young angel smiled reassuringly and wrapped an arm around Chloe's. She faced the other woman.

"Lucifer didn't have a choice," Azrael answered the other. "He was put in an impossible position that Uriel gave him with no way out but to change the rules. You know how Uriel was, and there was no way Lucifer would harm Mother or Chloe here. He cares too much, that Lucifer." She let out a quick smile again at Chloe, who flashed one of relief back.

"If you didn't want to help resolve this situation, you needn't have come, Jophael," Amenadiel told the tall woman sternly. She frowned back at him.

"Michael is not in his right mind, but that doesn't mean Lucifer has been forgiven."

"What is it with you all and forgiveness?" Chloe asked suddenly, effectively turning all eyes towards her again. She swallowed nervously but pushed forward. "Michael's obsession with punishment, Amenadiel's need to see tests from God everywhere he goes… Don't you all think that you make your own fate? Is it your job to decide whether God has forgiven Lucifer? I guess I don't know much about 'celestial rules,' but you all spend so much time focused on worthiness it's a wonder anything gets done. I for one would like to figure out a way to get Lucifer back without anybody being harmed. I would like to stop Michael from whatever dastardly villainous deed he has planned up his sleeve. And I would like to help Lucifer save the souls of Hell from their own guilt. I would hope that his own siblings would at least meet me that far."

Having finished her small speech, Chloe instantly felt a heat rising to her cheeks. She hadn't intended to rail on the angels, but the words had slipped out, as they tended to do when she had a strong opinion on the subject. She excused herself from Azrael's hand and the group, wandering over to the liquor stash to help herself to some whiskey. If she was going to get through the rest of this, a strong drink would do her some good.

She blinked in surprise, stopping mid-pour when the tall woman – Jophael – showed up behind her, expression impassive.

"What would you have us do?" the other woman asked, and Chloe thought she could sense curiosity in her voice. Chloe downed the half glass of whiskey, set the cup down in one simple movement, and met her eyes as she felt the warmth from the liquid spread down her throat and into her chest. _Liquid courage indeed._

"If you want to confront Michael, you need to get out of the city," she answered, remembering Azrael's sentiments she had walked back in on. "If you want a place with nobody there, you could head to Death Valley up north. Hottest place in the country, so nobody stays there long."

"I like it," Gabriel chimed in with another wink. "I've heard that place has plenty of room. One angelic death match in an appropriately named valley!"

"We're not trying to kill anybody," Amenadiel chastised, but he didn't object to the location. "That would make a good place. How do we get Michael out there?"

"He'll know it's a trap, obviously," Azrael responded.

"We wouldn't have the element of surprise," Raphael added somberly. "We don't want to do harm. Perhaps we should get Father involved after all."

"Let's make that a last-case scenario," Amenadiel replied a little too quickly. "Lucifer, you know."

"I thought he was forgiven?" Jophael asked with an eyebrow cocked.

"Would he come? God, I mean," Chloe interjected, eyes widening. She couldn't even imagine what God would look like in person. Was he an old shepherd looking guy? Was he Morgan Freeman? Was he some being that she wouldn't be able to see without aging crazily like Moses in _The Ten Commandments_? In addition, couldn't he just snap his fingers and stop Michael and Lucifer from fighting one another? Couldn't he just return Lucifer to Hell? That thought made her mouth dry. She quickly poured another drink and downed it. Maybe she should call Ella. This seemed much more up her alley.

"Dad makes his suggestions…selective," Amenadiel told her. "He's not one to interfere directly, although I imagine he likes to make indirect interference from time to time. He's brought Lucifer back from death before, back when he first found out he could get injured by your presence."

Chloe blinked a few times.

"And now he can get injured at any time, would God have caused that?"

"What do you mean?" Raphael frowned at their conversation. "Lucifer can get injured? Does he bleed? Can he die?"

"Yes," Amenadiel nodded. "At first it seemed to be just because of Chloe's presence, something we never really understood until I realized that she was a miracle – directly from Dad himself. Now it seems Lucifer can get injured and not heal no matter if Chloe is in his presence or not. If it's something to do with his self-worth, I don't understand it."

Gabriel whistled lowly. "Didn't see that coming. Yeah, we should probably act soon. Knowing how easily annoyed Michael gets and how easily annoying Lucifer is, those two won't last long in each other's company without tearing each other apart. I mean, do you remember the day Lucifer fell? That was absolutely horrendous."

"Yeah, we should get on it to Death Valley," Azrael nodded her affirmation. Chloe's eyes fell back on Jophael and Raphael, the two that stood on even footing with Amenadiel in terms of charisma and character. They were looking at each other. Maybe they were communicating silently?

Silence fell over the room for a second as some unseen conversation occurred.

"Absolutely not," Amenadiel exclaimed after a moment. "We do not need to use bait. Chloe is a living, breathing human, not a worm on a hook."

Chloe rolled her eyes; she should have expected as much. She sighed.

"I don't plan on missing this, even if it goes sideways," she retorted to the entire group, breaking the mental argument. "I have a friend that would agree, and we can play bait just fine. We're coming with and we'll stay out your way. Make us the S&R if you must."

"_S&R_?" Raphael inquired.

"Search and rescue."

The angel nodded and turned back to Amenadiel.

"She is fine with it," he said simply. Amenadiel let out a huff that reminded Chloe that they were actually siblings. She felt the tension ease from the moment. Azrael grabbed her arm again, this time with a reassuring squeeze.

"We better bring Ella in on this then and figure out a plan," she said seriously. "I'd like you both to not die very much. I don't want to know the feeling of bringing you both to your next destinations." She gave Chloe a serene glance that made Chloe shudder; sometimes she forgot that the angel next to her had the most gruesome of tasks.

"We're going to need a plan," Chloe said to the group, letting her assertive detective mind take over. "If this operation is going to go smoothly, we're going to need to think this through." She whipped out her phone and pulled up Ella's name, pushing the call button.

This was going to be a long night, and not for the original reason she had hoped.


	24. Thank You Dad

_Previously on My Kingdom Come:_

_"We're going to need a plan," Chloe said to the group, letting her assertive detective mind take over. "If this operation is going to go smoothly, we're going to need to think this through." She whipped out her phone and pulled up Ella's name, pushing the call button._

_This was going to be a long night, and not for the original reason she had hoped._

* * *

Lucifer spat, removing his suit jacket and tossing it unceremoniously from his perch atop Hell's highest throne. It was hot in here, hotter than he remembered. In fact, if he looked closely enough, the cold, black ash floating around his head seemed to have a more menacing red tinge to it than he recalled too, more like a slow, smoldering coal instead of a fine, lung-suffocating powder. The glow at the edges of the never-ending view burned like a distant fire. This was a Hell of his own making, that was for sure.

And just like it had been always in this never-ending loop of torture, he felt a ghostly chill that swept through his body – down to his very bones – as he heard the agonizingly familiar, soft, simple notes waft through the humid air, suffocating him more than heat ever could. He gripped the throne he sat in, quite reminiscent of his real throne, fighting against the very real, constant threat of his fear overtaking his sanity as he watched the ghostly, ethereal figure descend from above: an ashen gray whisper of a soul that drifted through the gates of Hell and floated towards its final resting point. He knew it wasn't real, and yet that piano sang like a siren call to him, reminding him of the sweetest of memories with his Chloe.

Except this wasn't real. That wasn't Chloe. And he was in Hell.

Had he known that the siren song of piano wasn't an indication of the Hell that had awaited him before, Lucifer may have been more curious to find out what his former home had planned in store for him now. After all, it had been awhile since he had stumbled into his Hell, and he had long since found forgiveness for himself with Uriel's death. While stuck down here he had been adamant with himself to avoid even finding out what lay in wait for him, lest he get stuck and appear weak to the demons who had spent enough time questioning his ability to lead after the fiasco last winter.

But now, here he was, taking most of his inner strength to remind himself that this was simply a mirage. Stuck without a lifeline and at the mercy of the being he despised the most, Lucifer didn't know how much longer he could keep that reminder going. So yes, even Lucifer Morningstar was man enough to admit that he despised Michael more than he ever did his own father.

"Quite an interesting story this tells," Michael sneered from behind him, appearing for the first time since shoving Lucifer unceremoniously in here. Lucifer whipped his head around and growled.

"I'm in Hell, this is where you wanted me," he threatened, wishing he could will his devil face to show itself. It had been noticeably absent, out of reach of his abilities since ending up in his own suite in the Hell. "If you're so desperate for me to be out of the picture, leave me alone. Let me suffer in peace. Even Hell is better than spending a moment with you."

Michael chuckled.

"I would, but it would seem our siblings have decided to set a trap for me and request our presence at one 'Death Valley, California,'" he sighed, sounding less than delighted at the prospect of allowing Lucifer to be free of his personal torment.

"I'm not interested," Lucifer spat bitterly, turning his head back around as his personal Hell continued its story and the view shifted, soaring down from his perch and entering not real Chloe's not real Hell.

_Not real_, he reminded himself inwardly, gritting his teeth.

Chloe's Hell – _not real Hell –_ was worse than the worst thing he could imagine. Seeing her in the middle of the space, crying alone on his penthouse floor, all alone and inconsolable, was harder than he could ever imagine.

"I love you," she sobbed into arms which were wrapped around her knees as gasps wracked her body. It took every fiber of his being not to try and reach out to her, because he knew it wouldn't do any good: she couldn't see or hear him. He had left her for a life of self-pity and misery being the boss of Hell once more, and this moment would forever remind him that he had caused insurmountable pain to the woman he loved.

"So tragic," Michael whispered in his ear, causing him to start. Lucifer had forgotten he was there. Michael laughed again. "I hear your little human is going to be the bait in this trap, so that should make it all the more interesting."

"You leave her be," Lucifer growled lowly, tearing his eyes away from Chloe's lonely, sorrowful figure to shoot daggers at Michael. "This is between you and me. I'm where you want me. Leave her alone."

"I don't think so," Michael sighed, tone indicating his boredom of the repetition in conversation. "Come on, let us ascend."

Without so much as a further word, he grabbed Lucifer's injured arm (it screamed in pain) and jolted him upwards. Lucifer hadn't even realized he'd been kneeling. He hadn't felt the wetness on his cheeks until Michael laughed in his face, either.

"So sentimental," he sneered. "Pathetic."

The door to the real Hell appeared and Lucifer couldn't help the leap his heart made as he thought of finally being able to escape the prison he had been stuck in for what had felt like eons. He let out a shaky sigh, as quietly as he could, as Michael marched them through the door and towards Chloe.

"So: you're walking into a trap," he said, fighting his voice's desire to appear breathless. "What are you going to do about that?"

"I am not concerned by my siblings," Michael replied coolly as he marched them right to the entrance gates. His wings unfurled, one single feather slicing Lucifer along the back. He hissed, causing another smirk from the incessant angel. "I have Father's best interests in mind, not yours. I am not polluted by your wickedness."

Lucifer rolled his eyes. Michael lifted up and they ascended back to earth, which gave him a quick idea. It was a long shot, not the best idea, but it was all he had in this moment. Lucifer knew that Michael wasn't the brightest sheep in the flock, and hopefully, with a stroke of luck, he could work that into his favor. Closing his eyes at the breeze that blew against his face, he let his mind empty and his thoughts focus on one being.

_Look,_ he thought. _I'm in a bit of a sticky situation here. I have a lot of questions. I'm hoping you have answers. If you really do agree with _him_, let fate run its course. If you have more to say on the matter… I will speak to you. Anything to save Chloe. Please._

A solemn, rare prayer left his thoughts and headed to the one being who could possibly help him.

Lucifer opened his eyes as they landed in a scorching heat, an intense blaze almost as bad as the one they had just left. Dry, tan sand surrounded them, only dotted in gradual places by dusty, green shrubbery and the distant illusion of sandy hills. This truly was death as a valley: that name was right.

"Remember the rules now," Michael hissed in his ear, his wing curling around Lucifer enough for it to be in his line of sight. Razor-sharp feathers teased the space in front of his neck.

"No cheating, I know," he sighed, unable to keep frustration from leaking into his voice. He really didn't like the feeling of helplessness that he found himself in. "Just don't hurt Chloe and I'll do whatever you ask."

Michael smirked but didn't answer. Instead, he focused his eyes in the distance, beyond Lucifer's head. Lucifer looked that way, too. Figures approached from the distance, dropping from the sky in quick, sudden movements. Within moments there were seven beings in front of them.

Lucifer's heart leapt at the sight of Chloe. She was dressed for the weather in a simple white tank, jeans, boots, and a frown. She was staring at him, concern evident in her features. He offered her a little shrug and a smile – best he could do, given the circumstances.

"Why am I not surprised?" Gabe said first, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. "Michael, you must have disappeared when father handed intelligence out. What in the world are you doing?"

"Such a child," Michael sneered, glaring next to Lucifer. Lucifer looked between him and their siblings, trying to figure out what the plan was. "Don't make childish mistakes, brother. You've already been brainwashed by Samael, don't be foolish. You've already lost by going against our Father's commands."

"So what?" Gabriel replied with a scoff of his own. "You've decided that your interpretation of his words is the only truth? What kind of –"

"Stop, Gabriel," Raphael said. His voice barely carried on the scorching wind, but it had its power nonetheless. The other angel fell silent.

Lucifer looked at each of the beings in front of him, hardly believing still that any of his siblings were coming to his aid. Jophael was the least believable, and the expression on her face – that cross between impassiveness and disinterest – was enough for him to be incredulous by her even risking her time to come to his aid. Amenadiel and Azrael, of course were there for him. Azrael had the fiercest look in her eyes, not at all dampened by the ridiculous owlish glasses she wore. Amenadiel stood imposing with crossed arms and rather impressive biceps. He stood, the oldest sibling, ready to command even an army if need be. Gabriel was an experiencer: he would always make sure to be around for any experience, except this time he had also chosen Lucifer's side.

Then the two humans on the other side caught his eye. There was dear, sweet, fragile Ella, hands on her hips and eyes sharp behind aviator sunglasses. Her trademark snarky t-shirt had a dangling kitten from a branch on it, with the words 'hang in there!' on it. _How appropriate, _he thought to himself.

Chloe was the last but always the first he would look to. His heart rose somewhere between his esophagus and throat as he imagined what kind of "bait" his siblings had planned on using her for. Was it merely her presence? Was it something more? The very idea, coupled with the eternal heat that burned in his lungs, left his mouth dry.

"What would you have us do, Michael?" Amenadiel chimed in then, voice low and authoritative. Lucifer almost smirked as he recognized the same tone that his brother had used on him back around the time when he had first met Chloe. Amenadiel could be a force to reckon with sometimes, and Michael was overdue for that treatment.

"My brother, seeing as how even you have been seduced by Samael's wicked nature, I cannot be expected to trust what you say. Therefore, I will make it simple." Michael turned his head ever so slightly, eyes appearing under curls to show him the malice they hid. The action was so slight that none of the others would recognize something had happened.

"Hand over the human and we shall be on our way. You will return to the Silver City and life shall go on. This is not your fight."

Lucifer watched Chloe's hands ball into fists. Even from here, he could see the knuckles stretching white against the skin. Where his heart had been before, it now pummeled to the bottom of his stomach.

"That was not the agreement!" he bellowed, turning towards Michael in a flash. Michael's wing responded accordingly, invading his space and slicing his cheek. _Damn._ Heat flashed across his face and wetness dripped down his jawline, but Lucifer almost didn't feel it. He would destroy Michael before he had the chance.

"Uh-uh," Michael grinned at him. "You're at my mercy, remember? This mortal side of you is much too fun. Did you know, my brothers and sisters?" he called out to the others, reaching around Lucifer's face before he could notice and smearing red onto his fingers. He held it up for them to see. Lucifer spared a quick glance to see them all in offensive positions, hovering in that moment before taking flight. "Did you know that this beast _bleeds_? Surely that will show you that Father has no further use for him. He has fallen rank and will never be worthy of his wings."

"So what?" Azrael called out, her voice wavering a bit as she wasn't the type to usually speak out. "He's your brother. He was created by dad. It's not your decision to decide his or anybody else's fate, especially humans."

"You tell him!" Ella whooped, offering a small fist bump in solidarity. "So stop shattering my religious perceptions of angels and quit being a dick already!"

Lucifer snickered a little; even from his position, he would always be cheered by the solid poetic hilarity that ensued from Ms. Ella Lopez. He reminded himself to spend more time with her when this was all over.

_If _it ended in their favor.

"Guys, cut it out," Chloe finally spoke, causing Lucifer to zero in on her once again. Her voice was wavering a bit too, but she stood tall and firm, arms at her sides, mouth set in a thin line that showed she meant business. "This is Lucifer we're talking about here. I'll go with him."

"Are you kidding me?" Ella squawked, her voice raising up a few pitches.

"Stop it, Detective," Lucifer added his input. No way in Hell – literally – was he going to let her anywhere near Michael. He glared at the feathers that accompanied the wing that reminded him of its presence, daring him to move an inch and allow more of his blood to be spilt. He could feel the blood on his cheek drying and clotting. His arm also screamed out in pain. His feet were sore. He was not in the best fighting shape, but he would see to it that Chloe Decker wasn't allowed anywhere near Michael; he'd give his own life gladly first.

"No, Lucifer, this isn't your decision," Chloe said firmly, frowning deeper. "It's mine. My decision is to take the deal. Michael, if you take me, will you at least let Lucifer return to Hell? He said he would go back. You have my word he would stay there."

What the hell was she saying? She sounded so confident, so sure of herself. Lucifer could only stand there, aghast, as she stepped out of the lineup of angel and human alike, one step closer towards him and what would end up being her own doom.

"I won't let you do this!" he shouted, forcing his fist into the wall of knives that was the wing next to him. His hand splattered blood onto the wing. He didn't care. This was _not_ going down like this. He raised his other arm, sore as it was, and swung wildly behind him towards Michael's face. It collided with a mess of curls and a very solid head, and Michael grunted, wing dropping momentarily. Lucifer took that as his one chance – he dashed out from reaching distance of Michael's wing, focusing on Chloe's shocked and frozen figure. He just had to get to her first.

A slew of other activity happened very suddenly around him, and Lucifer did his best to process it through his one-track mind. The other angels were fanning out around the scene with Amenadiel approaching from the north, his face a mixture of rage and horror. Azrael's eyes were even wider, if that was possible, as she brought a hand up to her mouth. Ella was screaming, fury lighting her expression. Chloe's frozen form, still in shock, let out an unconscious shudder.

And then he felt it. Looking down in slow, terrible comprehension, Lucifer realized that those feathers from the wing he had just escaped were now somehow on the front side of his body again, this time taking the path of greater resistance through his chest. Very human, mortal blood – _so bloody red,_ he thought strangely to himself – was leaking out of him at a rapid pace.

A feeling that scalded like a hot iron sent a convulsion through his body. His knees felt funny, like they had suddenly disappeared. His legs became jelly, falling numb and refusing to support his body. As he fell, he stared at Chloe.

"Oh," he said simply.

All he registered was pain as the wing slid its way back out of his body, dripping in stuff that was supposed to be inside of him. And yet, like the emotions he couldn't hide from his face anymore, they were in the open for everybody to see. Even Gabriel, who would never let him live this down. He coughed out a twisted laugh.

Lucifer thought he heard screaming. He thought he heard his name erupt in a barrage of voices. He couldn't really tell anymore; comprehension was too difficult. He thought he had felt something like this before. Did it hurt this badly? It couldn't have. Nobody could survive this numbing, disgusting pain that tasted like bile in his dry mouth.

Had the sun gotten brighter? He stared up at the uninterrupted sky, ignoring some inner inkling that scolded him for looking directly at the sun. Except, how could he not? The sun had turned into the entire sky. It was so bright it had whitened everything around him. In fact, the light was almost painful enough to make him forget the insurmountable pain that was quickly enveloping him. It was culminating to a point where he wanted to yell, to scream – but no sound made its way from his throat.

And then it all stopped.

Lucifer blinked slowly, the ghost of a horrifying pain the remnant of a cry on his lips. His world came into focus and he realized that he was somewhere different. A lush, green field surrounded him on all sides. The sky was a perfect spring blue, contrasting with the cheerful dark canopy of lazy palm branches and dark, gnarly shade trees. The air smelled sweet, like a perfume that entrapped his senses and calmed his harsh breaths. He took in a deep, sharp breath, letting the scent of honey and flower and fresh spring water wash over him. Then he looked down at himself.

Where there had been blood was now a fresh, clean suit. White shirt, freshly pressed, beneath a dark blue custom tailored, slim fit suit jacket. A charcoal tie and matching solid pocket square finished the ensemble.

_Odd,_ he thought to himself. _I don't own this outfit._

Lucifer was sitting on a cold, stone bench, like the kind he had seen adorning cemeteries. A dreary, damp thing, he had never taken much interest in them as they didn't match his style. His knees pointed towards a clearing in the grove before him, through which a single, young tree was attempting to stretch as tall as its palm and shade comrades. A sinking, surprised gut feeling wrenched his way through him. He knew exactly where he was.

"What is this?" Michael's enraged voice came from behind him, and Lucifer whipped his head around, body going on the defense immediately. Memories came rushing back of where they had just come from: the endless torture in Hell, the trap and the _bait_, the wing, covered in blood, arcing its way out of his screaming chest…

Lucifer felt a growl erupt from his throat as he clenched his fist and started to stand, with every intention of ending this once and for all. Then his fist unclenched. He fell back onto the bench. His mind felt a presence that hadn't existed close enough to feel in millennia.

Michael's face relaxed too, and his eyes fixated at the young tree growing in the garden behind Lucifer. Lucifer felt the presence. He wasn't completely inept. He looked down, turning his body around and taking in the smallest of deep breaths so that the others couldn't see. Part of him reverted back to what felt like a stubborn child about to face their parent.

Wasn't that what this was?

"Hello, dad," Lucifer spat, allowing the slightest tinge of venom to lace his tone. Inwardly, he was having a mini war about the results of his prayer being good or bad. Good: God had heard him and decided this was not his fate. Bad: he was probably about to get the scolding of a thousand lifetimes. He tensed up, waiting for the words to fall from the lips of the one being he tried his best to hate more than anybody else in the world.

"My son, how I have missed you," the voice spoke instead. Lucifer's head shot up and met the eyes boring holes into his. Warmth, love, forgiveness, and an onslaught of other emotions that he couldn't fathom hit him like a ton of bricks, bowling over his venomous insides and overtaking his emotional and mental pain. The façade of anger that he'd held onto for so long melted like ice cream in the sun, the remnants pooling in his stomach and filling him with a wholeness he hadn't felt in a long time.

"I'm sorry for everything, my son," God spoke, his voice every bit commanding and compassionate as Lucifer remembered. The depths into his expression bore into Lucifer's very soul. "Your path is your own. Your will is your own."

"Father, I –"

"Michael," he responded with a single word. Michael did not continue, and Lucifer did not bother turning around to see why.

"After all this time…" Lucifer croaked, finding the words to speak to be very difficult. His dad nodded slowly, remorse evident in his features.

"I have been wrathful and petty. And then I became negligent. You, my son, have faced odds that none of my children, angel and human alike, have ever come close to surmounting. Your struggles stemmed from a moment of my weakness, for which I will forever be apologetic." He reached out and placed a hand on Lucifer's shoulder. Lucifer wanted to feel angry, he did. He could remember the hatred and the rage that bubbled up inside of him whenever he thought of interacting with his father. But now, here… Those feelings felt like a lifetime ago.

"And Chloe?" he asked simply, trying not to let despair flood his voice. "Will she be safe?"

"You have chosen your path, Lucifer," God replied. Lucifer felt jarred at hearing his self-given name coming from his dad's lips. After Michael had made it a point to never refer to that name, he had just assumed God would be the same. "I am simply holding up my end of the deal. I do not wish to partake directly in all affairs, but for you, my child…you are the world to me. I have wronged you greatly. And I wish to make that up to you."

God held up a single finger in the direction of the young tree. A shimmer appeared on the bark, spreading rapidly as it overtook the trunk. The reflection showed a scene as still as a picture, time stopped on the exact moment where he had fallen. Lucifer stared, agape, at the bloody scene before him. He had been dead for sure.

"You are welcome to return. Your brother will not," God commanded, a new emotion overtaking his nature – pity. "Michael and I will have some serious discussions about 'my will' and the duty he feels to act on it. You are free to go. You are welcome home any time you wish."

Lucifer felt a thousand and one questions on the tip of his tongue. The emotional battle inside his body kept him mute however, and he simply nodded. His dad gestured for him to leave, kindness flowing from his expression to Lucifer's mind. Lucifer numbly stood up and began walking towards the frozen horror scene before him, feeling the air on his face get warmer as he approached. As he stuck a hand out to touch the scene that looked like a painting, he turned back to look one last time. Michael was gone now, but God remained, looking like a father on television beaming at the successes of their on-screen child. Lucifer felt quite like a child right now.

"Thank you…Dad," he stammered. God smiled even more. Then everything changed again. Sand filled his vision, heat captured his breath, and the love of his life was in front of him, tears streaming down her face.

"_Lucifer!_" Chloe Decker shrieked, running towards him. Lucifer opened his arms, awaiting the reunion that he had been promised.


	25. Epilogue

_When the days are cold and the cards all fold_

_And the saints we see are all made of gold_

_When your dreams all fail and the ones we hail_

_Are the worst of all and the blood's run stale_

_I want to hide the truth, I want to shelter you_

_But with the beast inside, there's nowhere we can hide_

_No matter what we breed, we still are made of greed_

_This is my kingdom come, this is my kingdom come_

* * *

Chloe couldn't stop herself from checking the clock constantly. It sat there innocently, strung up against the gray wall and ticking away in a slow, agonizing _tick-tock._ How could only two minutes have passed since she last looked?

She turned back to the kitchen, searching for something – _anything _– to distract her from the news-worthy slowdown of time that seemed to exist solely in the bubble of her home. The counters sparkled immaculately; the floors were spotless. Chloe turned next to the living room, where the pillows on the couch had been fluffed, and the TV was on and waiting patiently to load the movie past the "Netflix" screen. A bowl of freshly made popcorn took center stage on the coffee table, next to two empty glasses – set carefully on clean, stainless coasters – and a bottle of red wine that she had gotten from Lux.

Chloe paced over to the bathroom in nervousness, flipping the light switch on and checking to make sure everything was clean in here. Of course it was – she had cleaned it twice this afternoon alone. She caught her reflection in the mirror, and she tugged at her hair, adjusting it around her face better. Was her shirt too revealing for a movie night? She wondered if she should hop in the shower. No, that was ridiculous; there was only five minutes until the time they had agreed upon. She sighed, shaking her head at her ridiculous self in the mirror. This was Lucifer, of all people. And yet, she was still nervous.

Walking back into the kitchen, Chloe adjusted the folded and sealed piece of paper on the counter. It was folded clumsily, unfolded again, and then folded again, as evidenced by the slight crease near the current fold. It was taped shut with a single piece of invisible tape, and careful, cursive letters spelled out Lucifer's name. Trixie had been sad she wouldn't be able to see Lucifer, but it would only be a few days and she'd be back from spending time with Chloe's mom. Penelope had deemed it important to have Trixie for awhile so Chloe could properly mourn Dan's death.

Except that wasn't even on Chloe's mind now. The clock chimed at the exact same moment a single, solid knock came at the door.

Her heart leapt into her throat. Why in the world was she so nervous? Chloe took a deep breath in, sighed it out, and approached the door, opening it with a victorious flourish. The door revealed Lucifer, of course, who was dressed in one of his best black suits complete with a red tie and pocket square, hair slicked back, and a wistful smile on his face. In his hands, centered around his chest like a bride walking down the aisle, was an extravagant assortment of fresh-cut flowers, held together by a carefully-winding red ribbon that matched his tie. There was no obvious sign of his location of work during the week, for which she was grateful. In fact, he smelled like he had just enjoyed a shower himself: even from this far away, she could smell the distinct, expensive brand of shampoo that usually followed him after a shower. That was the smell she remembered from his jacket, what seemed like ages ago.

"Good evening, Chloe," Lucifer greeted with his most polite expression; of course, underneath she could tell he was a bit nervous too. And very excited. His eyes cascaded down her body in a way that made her heart leap and her cheeks flush. This was definitely the right shirt to wear, after all.

"Lucifer! Come in," she instructed with a smile, holding the door open wider. The formality felt off but also appropriate, given the circumstances. "How was your week?"

"Dreadful, as always," he returned coyly with a flourish as he presented her the flowers while stepping over the threshold into the cozy home. She closed the door behind him, discreetly sliding the deadlock into place. "Although this is working out better than we could have expected. With the demons helping, the amount of souls we've been able to help has been astounding! I just with Daniel would let himself leave, too."

"Not until everybody else has been saved," she reminded him carefully, "you know how he is."

"Still," he huffed. Chloe walked around the kitchen peninsula, grabbing a vase from its forgotten spot under the sink, filling it with water, and setting it to the side. She then took her junk scissors from the junk drawer, setting them next to the vase while she carefully unwrapped the ribbon from the flowers and pulled the plastic around the stems. Trimming the stems one at a time, she plopped them one by one into the water. They smelled heavenly.

"Ah, I see you got the wine I recommended," Lucifer called from the living room while she worked.

"Uh, yeah, that was the one you mentioned, right?" she answered back, distractedly arranging the assortment in the vase. To finish off the look, she picked up the ribbon and slid it around the narrowest part of the vase, nimble fingers tying the ribbon into an unequal but cute bow. She smiled at her handiwork.

Arms snaked their way around her waist and she started, nerves building in her stomach again. Lucifer peered over her shoulder.

"Did you moonlight as a florist?" he purred in her ear, tone complimenting and warm.

"Maybe," she said. "I'll tell you all about it over that bottle of wine and some fresh popcorn."

Lucifer unwrapped his arms from her waist, taking her left hand in his and leading her gently from her floral masterpiece back towards the living room.

"I may have sampled the merchandise," Lucifer admitted as she raised an eyebrow at the small dent carved from the popcorn mountain. She rolled her eyes, not at all angry, as she smiled and reached for the bottle of wine.

"This better be as good as you made it out to be," she muttered instead, working on the corkscrew for a moment. Twist, twist, twist, grab the levers, squeeze down, and a wonderful aroma hit her nostrils.

"I remember your taste in fine wine, my dear," Lucifer murmured back, prying the bottle from her fingers and pouring a heavy helping into the already waiting glass in his other hand. "Here, let me know what you think."

Chloe took the glass and eyed it, swishing the deep red liquid around a couple times before taking the smallest of sips. She closed her eyes and sighed heavenly, savoring the pleasant aroma that filled her nose and lifted from her tongue. Oh yes, that was good.

Eyes shot open in surprise when she felt the glass being taken from her hand. "Hey, I'm not done with that!" she protested, but Lucifer set it back on the coffee table, placed his hands on her forearms, and pulled her in for a deep kiss.

The desire on his tongue that darted out to greet her lips sparked an intense heat within her, melting any nerves away and replacing them with raw emotion. She kissed him back, not realizing the desperation at which she needed this, needed _him_.

They fell – gently, as Lucifer seemed to be more aware of their surroundings than she was – back onto the couch, Chloe barely noticing as she twisted her fingers up into his hair, teasing his locks with her slim fingers. He caressed her back gently but firmly, fingers dipping under the shirt she had been so nervous was too revealing before. Popcorn and wine lay forgotten on the table, Netflix stuck eternally on a dimmed pause screen, things the back of her mind had only a little regret about.

What a welcoming beginning for the rest of her life.

* * *

_At the curtain's call is the last of all_

_When the lights fade out, all the sinners crawl_

_So they dug your grave and the masquerade_

_Will come calling out at the mess you made_

_Don't want to let you down, but I am hell bound_

_Though this is all for you, I don't want to hide the truth_

_No matter what we breed, we still are made of greed_

_This is my kingdom come, this is my kingdom come_

* * *

A/N: It wasn't until I was working on the last chapter that I realized Demons by Imagine Dragons had the exact title of my story (my husband gave me the title idea). This is the end of My Kingdom Come, and what better day than the announcement of a final season 6? Not to mention August 21st is season 5 part 1! I hope you are all as excited as I am.

Anyway, thank you for joining me on this wild ride that was My Kingdom Come. Your reviews, favorites, and follows for my longest story ever have warmed my heart and kept me going this entire time. I appreciate you all!


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